The Rogue
by storytellergirl
Summary: Uncapable of human touch, she is an enigma to the world. Her loyalties are ever changing, her soul ever restless. She is a rogue with a dark past and an uncertain future. This is her story.
1. Prologue

Prologue

**Disclaimer—I don't own any of this stuff.**

**Prologue**

In the year nineteen eighty-nine a baby girl was born. The month was May, and the dark night of her birth was humid. The mother of said baby girl spent nine grueling hours in labor, her body writhing with every contraction, hoarse screams escaping her dry lips as she struggled to beat the pain from taking total control. The house the child was born in was a rundown shack with holes in the roof and plywood nailed across the windows. It was located down a forgotten dirt road with nothing else to be seen for miles in any direction. The place and the occasion were truly secrets belonging to none other than the night and the two souls within the shack—three if one counted the screaming baby born into such a world as this.

Outside the state of Mississippi the world was quickly changing. Fate was drawing lines and weaving lives together faster than a spider could spin its web. Fear spread like wildfire as knowledge of mutants became public, causing a political and ethical storm unlike any other ever before seen. Chaos and dissent became the order of the day as positions were built—more than could be counted on a single hand. Everyone had a theory as to the causes, the effects, and the reasoning behind everything mutant. Others had answers, questions, and even plans on what to do next…but none could agree on any one fact.

Yet back on the outskirts of Meridian a new life was just beginning, though it wasn't the beginning anyone would wish for themselves or anyone else close to them.

"You can't keep her; your life is too dangerous to raise a child." The woman's voice was stern and unwavering, forcing the eyes of the new mother upwards.

"She's my daughter!" replied the other woman fiercely.

"She's not like you. She's nothing like you."

"I gave birth to her!"

"She is human, you are mutant. Keeping her is out of the question and you know it."

From the tattered remains of the bed, now soiled with blood and water, the other woman had wide eyes and was clutching her baby close to her chest. "I can't let her go—I've done it once, I refuse to do it again."

"You have done it once, yes," agreed the first woman with a nod of her head, "you will do it now, and you will do it once again. It is your fate, just as it is the fate of this child to be raised by humans."

"But—"

"Do not argue, you know what you must do. But do not make the mistake of thinking this is the last time you will see your daughter, because your paths will merge once again. This will not be the last time you hold her in your arms, I promise."

The mother's eyes moved to study the tiny creature in her arms, her finger brushing the tiny wisp of hair atop the baby's head. Tears developed in her eyes, eventually falling down her cheeks in symmetrical lines. "I cannot just abandon her."

"There is a family not far from here. They are childless, but good people. They will provide a good home for your daughter. I will make sure of it."

It was close to three hours later, at the break of dawn, when the two figures stole into the town of Meridian like thieves in the night. The mother was led to a plain neighborhood where the houses all seemed to resemble one another in color and size. The house the pair of women stopped in front of was nothing spectacular with its large front porch and shuttered windows. With a steady look from the older woman the young mother made her way to the front door of the house, and placed the sleeping babe in her arms down onto a bundle of blankets atop the welcome mat. Her hands wavered atop the child's head before moving up to the door and pounding on it three times. Turning on her heel the woman returned to her friend and the pair disappeared around the side of the house.

The night was still again when the front door was finally pulled open. The man who had opened it glanced around curiously with sleep filled eyes and was about to reenter when the bundle on the floor caught his eye. Bending down he had to blink before he realized that the blankets held a newborn baby fast asleep.

From within the house came the voice of his wife. "Owen, who is it?"

"A baby. Come look, Priscilla—someone left a baby on our doorstep!" murmured Owen with an excited whisper. Priscilla's face was set in a frown as she appeared at the doorway to bend down beside her husband. Her eyes widened as she realized it was in fact a baby that had disturbed their slumber.

"But how?"

"I don't know. Someone just left her here." Owen reached down to pick up the tiny child, blankets and all, in his arms. Almost immediately he could feel himself falling in love with the baby. "I think it's a gift from God, Priscilla. The Good Lord has given us a child like we prayed for—why else would we find one on our doorstep?"

"Shouldn't we call the police or…" Priscilla's voice hesitated as she reached out a single finger to place in the tiny hands of the baby girl. The right thing to do would be to report the child to the authorities in hopes of finding the child's mother and reuniting them, but it was too hard to look past the fact that the child had been left on their doorstep because the mother couldn't care for her.

"I think this here child would have a better chance of survival if she stayed with us," replied Owen with a soft look at his wife. Priscilla needed no more convincing as she reached out for the bundle in her husband's arms, cradling the infant against her chest.

"Marie."

"Huh?"

"Let's call her Marie."

From the side of the house the child's true mother watched as her baby was taken into the house. The moment the door was shut she reemerged into full view, her eyes clouded as she studied the closed door.

"You did what you had to do," said the other woman as she too emerged from the side of the house.

"I expect you to watch her for me until I can return for her. You were right, you know, I can't raise her now—not with so much unfinished business to attend to."

"You have my word; I will watch her like she is my own. You have nothing to fear. That child is as normal as any human can possibly be."

"So you say. We won't be the only ones watching over her. _He_ will be watching, and waiting."

"Then don't screw up."

"I never have before." The young mother gazed back at the house one last time before turning away. "I'll be in touch, Irene."

"And I will be waiting." Irene listened as her friend's footsteps disappeared down the street before heading in the opposite direction. "I have been waiting for a long time. The war has only begun."

**A/N—This story is a combination of the movies, evolution series, and comics. As of May 16, 2007 this is the revised version of the Prologue.**


	2. Marie

Chapter 1—Marie

**Disclaimer: This does not belong to me.**

**Chapter 1—Marie**

Marie studied the blonde boy next to her and smiled as he stared up at the photo of New Orleans on her wall. Next to the photo was a large map of the United States, now covered with pink lines she had drawn in with a permanent marker, plotting the course she hoped to one day travel. Marie had always wanted to travel. She wanted to see the world and all that it had to offer—she wanted to experience new things, and simply get away from the small town she had grown up in. Marie wanted an adventure.

"Okay," said Cody, "what's so great about the Big Easy?"

"Mardi Gras, the French Market, Jackson Square, Bourbon Street, Café Du Monde. Need I say more?" she replied with a thick southern drawl.

"Sounds like a boring trip to me."

Marie rolled her eyes and grinned. "It'll be fun. It's a new place to see after being stuck here all my life. You don't want to spend your dying days here, d'ya?"

"No." Cody glanced at Marie and sighed. As much as he didn't like to admit it, Marie had a point. He too had spent most of his life in Meridian, and if his parents had their way he'd stay there until his dying day. Unlike Marie, however, Cody had never really thought about traveling the United States or the world…not seriously anyway. "And you're going to go to the Big Easy after graduation, huh?"

"Yeah, why?"

"It's gonna be awful lonesome on your own," he observed casually, his eyes glancing over at the teen girl before returning to the picture on the wall. It had taken ages to for him and Marie to get to the point they were currently at. After years of knowing each other Cody had finally gotten Marie to agree to be his girlfriend. It hadn't been easy either. Marie was one of those girls that feared commitment, mostly because she had big dreams and those dreams had never really included a boyfriend, or love in general. But Cody had managed to win Marie over, and he was going to fight tooth and nail to keep her as long as possible. It was generally expected by his folks and her that they would get married one day and have children together. It made sense since the pair had known each other since birth.

Marie shrugged. This was an awkward subject for her. She had dreamed of traveling after graduation all her life, and now that it was coming up in another year she was starting to realize that her dreams weren't close to actual plans. Marie was just hoping that things would fall into place as she traveled—making plans weren't her specialty. "My folks don't really care where I go after high school, not after they found out they're going to have a baby of their own. Being alone won't be so bad, I'll make friends."

"What if I came with you?"

"You?" Marie chuckled as she turned to face him. While she had never really wanted a boyfriend before, she had come to delight over the fact that of all the guys to end up with she had ended up with Cody. He was the general good guy next door type with a friendly smile and big heart, and it helped that he was easy on the eyes as well. She had harbored the biggest crush on him for years, but had convinced herself nothing would ever come of it, and that if something did it wouldn't be for long since she wanted to see the world, and for Cody the world was Meridian. So hearing him suggest that he come with her on her travels was more than enough to make Marie's heart skip a beat. If she could somehow keep this relationship she had fallen into with Cody then her world would be made.

"Yeah, why not? It'd be something new like you said—and, I'd be with you, wouldn't I?"

"Don't kid with me, Cody. It ain't funny."

"I'm not kidding. I'm serious. I want to travel with you, Marie. After the Big Easy we can see the rest of the States and then maybe go to Europe. Let's see the world, huh?"

"Really?" Marie looked into Cody's eyes with a small flutter in her stomach. They had had never really discussed their future before, mostly because they were so young and both knew what others thought their future would be like. Marie had always hated thinking so far ahead because she was of the belief that things changed too quickly to have anything set in stone, but looking in Cody's eyes right now she was inclined to believe that maybe, just maybe, she had been wrong on that account. At this exact moment Marie truly believed that she was in love with Cody, and by the look in his own eyes she knew he felt the same way.

"Marie, I'd follow you to the ends of the earth if I could," whispered Cody cupping her chin gently.

"I'd like that. I really would," replied Marie breathlessly. Cody gave her a genuinely shy smile and leaned closer to the petite brunette. She closed her eyes as soon as she felt his lips on hers.

It was soft at first…and wonderful. Marie had never felt so alive or open than in this one moment. As she returned the kiss, Marie felt as though she could read Cody's mind; that she was looking into the depths of his soul. In fact, it was as though she could actually see his innermost thoughts and feelings…his past and present…his future.

Marie froze in shock as a new feeling shot through her body from head to toe, one that didn't seem quite right. Her eyes popped open just as Cody's did and the only thing she could see in his mind was fear. Marie desperately tried to pull away from the blonde teen at the same time he tried to pull away from her. Veins seemed to pop out across his body and into Marie's as though it were draining his life and transferring it to her.

Both teens were breathing raggedly the moment they broke apart. Cody fell back onto the bed, his body jerking with a seizure. Marie gave an ear piercing scream as she felt Cody's mind take over her own.

**Downstairs:**

"You think it's all right to leave them alone up there?" asked Priscilla as she softly played the keys of her piano.

"Lord, woman, Marie is almost seventeen…of course we can trust her," was Owen's good natured reply as he turned the page of his newspaper. Priscilla nodded quietly and turned her attention to the song she was playing. Owen smiled knowingly at his wife before closing his eyes and allowing the music to take him away.

Marie's scream jolted both of them out of their reverie, striking fear into the depths of their souls.

"Marie!"

Owen was the first one into the bedroom, his eyes wide as he caught sight of Cody having a seizure atop the bed. A glance to the corner of the room found Marie sobbing uncontrollably, her words a jumbled mess to the ears of her parents.

"Priscilla, call an ambulance!" ordered Owen as his wife entered the room. He was now standing beside the bed, grabbing a pillow to try and stop the teenage boy from hurting himself. Priscilla sprinted out of the room as Marie watched on, her words finally becoming clear.

"I didn't mean to hurt him! I swear I didn't! Oh God! Oh God! What have I done?"

"Marie! For Christ sakes, stop your crying! What happened?" demanded Owen as he struggled to steady the comatose boy.

"It was just a kiss. One kiss. I didn't mean to hurt him! I swear! Oh God, what's wrong with me?" Marie dropped to the ground in another torrent of tears as Owen looked on helplessly. A dark thought ran through his mind, forcing him to study his adopted daughter with disbelief. He fought the conflicting emotions in his head as his wife re-entered the room.

"An ambulance is on the way," she announced in a strained voice. Priscilla turned to the daughter she had cared for the past seventeen years in an effort to comfort her. "Oh, sugar, what happened?"

Marie screamed as Priscilla tried to touch her. "Don't touch me!"

Priscilla jumped back in shock and glanced over at Owen with tears in her eyes. Neither one was quite sure what to think at that point, but both knew something had happened that could never be undone.

**Hours Later:**

Marie huddled at her door and listened through the crack to her parents' voices as they drifted upstairs. She hadn't spoken to anyone since…she didn't even know what to refer to the incident as. Cody had been taken to the hospital and Marie's parents had followed to make sure he was alright. Marie hadn't moved from her corner until she heard her folks return, giving her reason to creep out onto the staircase to listen for news of Cody. Silent tears had rolled down her cheeks as the words "coma", "unconscious", and "barely there" hit her. The brunette had then retreated to her room and closed the door; save for a crack to listen to her parents in case there was more to be said.

As the doorbell rang Marie closed her eyes. She knew without a doubt who was behind the door, and from the sounds of the introductions she had been right in her guesses. The newly arrived guests were none other than Cody's parents, their lawyer, and a police officer.

The lawyer spoke first. "My clients do not intend to press charges, but they don't want Marie anywhere near Cody again. She's dangerous."

"Has she said anything since the incident?" asked the officer.

"No," answered Priscilla so softly that Marie had to strain to hear it.

"Marie's a good girl. We both love her," started Cody's mother, "but today something really bad happened. I don't know if it was an accident or on purpose, but you must understand, Marie—"

Cody's father cut in boldly. "Marie needs to be locked up. You've seen the papers, Owen. Your daughter is a mutant."

The silence reached Marie painfully. She looked at her hands and shuddered. They were right. She _was_ a mutant. A freak. She waited to hear her parents protect her from a ghastly future locked away behind bars. But it never came.

"Where would we put her?" asked Owen, sighing deeply.

"For tonight, a jail cell," answered the lawyer. "Tomorrow I'll make a few calls and find her a better place to stay…permanently. She needs to be away from others."

Priscilla frowned. "Can't we just get rid of her…mutantness? She's still our daughter, adopted or not. I've raised her and I don't want to see her put in some lab to be tested like a rat."

"There isn't a cure for being a mutant, ma'am," replied the lawyer. "I'm sorry. The Mutant Registration Act is going through Congress right now…but until the government tells us what to do with her and others like her it's up to each individual state to take care for problems like these."

"I think the best option is an asylum. Your daughter is not capable of living among us. She needs to locked up until a better solution comes along," said the cop reassuringly. "She'll be okay in an asylum."

Upstairs Marie was motionless. But as soon as her parent's consent reached her ears she jumped into action. She knew that if they took her in she would be locked up forever. And Marie knew what happened to mutants locked away from the public eye—and she didn't want to be another lab rat, despite the promises of the lawyer downstairs.

She quietly closed her door and locked it. Marie grabbed a dark pair of jeans, knee high socks, black tennis, a black long sleeved shirt, a black pea coat and a dark brown scarf and set about getting dressed. She didn't have a moment to spare. Within minutes she was ready for travel. She grabbed her messenger bag and threw in all her jewelry and money, along with some extra clothes and other vital needs. She ran over to her window and opened it, letting the faint moonlight hit her hands.

Her hands. Marie sighed and returned to her dresser and pulled open the bottom drawer. She dug through its contents frantically until she found what she was looking for: a pair of elbow length brown leather gloves that she had once used for Halloween. She quickly pulled them on, grabbed her bag and crawled out the window.

The teen quickly and silently walked across the roof to climb down a nearby tree. She ran to the edge of her backyard and turned around for one final glance at the place she had called home for close to seventeen years.

"Bye mama, papa," she called out in a whisper. "I know we'll never see each other again…I'll never be Marie again." And then she quickly disappeared into the woods as a nameless runaway.

By the time Owen, Priscilla and the police officer broke down the door to her room, Marie was long gone. There was no note, no explanation, save for the open window.

Priscilla picked up a small teddy bear off of the bed as she sank down onto it, and hugged the soft toy tightly. She could still smell her daughter's sweet scent, and wept silent, bitter tears for the night's actions.

As the officer excused himself to call his supervisor, Owen leaned out the open window and sighed. There were tears in his eyes as reality hit him. He would never see his daughter again, that he was sure of. They had betrayed Marie, and she knew it.

The phone rang and Owen bowed his head in shame. He walked down the hall to answer it. The only thing he said into the receiver was, "We failed. We lost Marie."

The caller on the other end hung up, and Owen finally broke down into tears. Priscilla found him on the floor sobbing his heart out before wrapping her arms around him in comfort.

Marie was no more.

**A/N—As of May 17, 2007 Chapter 1: Marie has been revised.**


	3. Rogue

Chapter 2—Rogue

**Disclaimer: Does not belong to me.**

**Chapter 2—Rogue**

People stared at the young brunette as she slunk through the crowd. It wasn't often that they saw someone—anyone—dressed for below freezing temperatures in a place where snow was something of a myth. The girl in question, a runaway by the name of Rogue, ignored the looks and kept her eyes on the ground. The last few weeks had been long and horrible. Everything seemed like a nightmare.

Soon, Rogue left the crowds behind and entered a small park. She quickly found an empty bench and sat in the very middle, placing her bag on one side and leaving little room for company on the other. New Orleans was nothing like she had ever imagined, partly because she felt no joy in touring the Big Easy, and mostly because she was alone.

Rogue blinked back tears as she looked down at the newspaper she held in her hands. On the bottom of the page was an article entitled, "Comatose Teen Awakens after Mutant Attack". The article went on to describe how Cody had woken up after three weeks in a coma, and that he was growing stronger with each passing day. Cody's parents were also quoted as saying, "When we catch the mutant that did this she will be locked away forever."

Rogue gave a cynical chuckle, so much for traveling the world with Cody now. He probably hated her, not that she blamed him. She had almost killed him. Cody still lived on in her mind though his memories and thoughts were slowly beginning to fade into the dark recesses of her head. All but the parts that Rogue had found to be useful, like his knowledge of martial arts and football tactics. Yet that was what scared Rogue the most. She was fully intent on never touching another living person again. She wasn't keen on living their memories. Her fear of losing her own mind to that of another's kept her fully clothed and covered, regardless of the weather.

The teen hadn't come to terms with her curse, as she liked to call it. She couldn't deny however that it _was_ getting easier to go around in complete solitude. She never said more than two words to anyone and didn't care that many would label her as stuck up. Being a bitch was a whole lot better than what she really was: a freak of nature.

**Bayville, New York:**

Professor Charles Xavier was silent as he stared out his window. Behind him he could hear his two colleagues entering the room with two of his top students.

"You wanted to see us, Chuck?" growled Logan leaning against the door.

"Yes. There is a mutant in need of our assistance," replied Xavier turning his chair around.

"Another one?" asked Scott dubiously. He thought back on the last mutant in need who had tried to kill them, and was now working for a dark mutant by the name of Mystique. While the Professor felt mutants needed their help it was hard to believe that all would be welcoming of that aid…there were just some mutants that could not be helped.

"Her name is Rogue. She's only seventeen and on the run. Her powers evolved and left a boy in a coma as a result. She needs our guidance now more than ever."

Ororo picked up a newspaper off of Xavier's desk and scanned the headlines. "Her powers sound dangerous."

"Rogue's powers are unlike any other I have heard of. From that article, I believe she has the ability to absorb mutant powers and use them as her own. But if she were to touch a normal homo-sapien she would be able to drain their life force. Without looking into her mind I can't tell what effects her powers have on her. Even now I can't get much of a reading—she's too far away and…I sense another's thoughts blending with her own."

"So you want us to find her and bring her to the mansion?" questioned Jean chewing on a strand of her hair. "Is she going to even trust us? If she's on the run, she's probably scared out of her mind. Putting a boy into a coma, even accidentally…that's serious stuff, Professor. This girl probably feels like everyone's out to get her now."

"If this girl has the power to absorb other powers," started Logan carefully, "then how come old Tin-Can ain't after her?"

Xavier looked over at the burly man and frowned. "I believe Erik is also after our Rogue…if only to use her powers to his advantage. From my last encounter with Mystique, I believe Erik has been watching this girl for a long time now."

"What for, Charles? Does Magneto have a connection to this girl?" asked Ororo quietly.

"I don't believe so, but…I think he's been planning something with the consultations of a mutant who can see into the future."

Jean frowned. "Destiny? She's pretty good at what she does—no one else has the ability to foresee what's to come like she can."

"Yes, she's also a good friend of Mystique's, and I'm fairly sure that Destiny has been working with Erik for some years now." Xavier sighed before continuing. "Logan, gather Kitty, and Kurt. Jean, Scott, Ororo, suit up—we're heading to New Orleans to catch ourselves a rogue."

**The Brotherhood of Mutants:**

"Hey! That's my sandwich, yo!" cried out Toad in dismay from his position hanging off the ceiling fan in the kitchen.

Lance ignored him as he took a bite of the sandwich the other teen had made. "It ain't grand, but it'll do until Mystique goes shopping again."

Pietro sped into the kitchen and snorted in derision. "You think she's actually gonna go shopping for us? That witch hates us with a capital H."

"Maybe if you weren't such a smartass to her, yo, she wouldn't hate us so much," said Toad leaping on top of the counter. With a flick of his tongue he snatched the remainder of his sandwich from Lance's hands and straight into his mouth.

"Freak," muttered Lance.

"Look who's talking."

"Now, now, boys, if you're going to spill some blood go outside. You know how dear Mystique can't stand a mess," tsked Pietro in a mocking tone. Lance balled his hands into fists and let loose a mild tremor that shook the house.

"_What the hell is going on here_?" demanded a booming voice from the kitchen doorway. All three heads turned, expecting to see Mystique in disguise, but instead of the shape shifter there stood Magneto, boiling with anger.

"D…dad!" exclaimed Pietro in surprise. Toad gulped and leapt behind the counter as Lance stood his ground. Magneto entered the kitchen and eyed the three teens darkly as Mystique and Sabertooth walked in.

"Hey Whiskers," grinned Lance popping his knuckles. "Been a while since we've seen you around."

Sabertooth replied with a deep growl, causing Pietro to take a small step backwards. Mystique pursed her lips before speaking. "This place is a fucking mess—clean it!"

"Now?" whined Pietro.

"No, tomorrow. Of course now. I'm going to pick up a new recruit, so I want this place spotless by the time I return," snapped Mystique.

"Another one? I thought Quicksilver counted as two…he sure acts that way," muttered Lance.

Magneto gritted his teeth. "This mutant is very valuable. I won't let Xavier or his X-Men get what is rightfully mine. Victor, Mystique!" Both mutants snapped to immediate attention.

"Let's go, I won't have our recruit waiting." Magneto turned from the doorway with his two followers on his heels.

"A little possessive, ain't he?" asked Toad popping up from the other side of the counter.

"That's dad for you," mumbled Pietro. "He always gets what he wants."

Outside Magneto was briefing Mystique and Sabertooth on what he wanted them to do. "Under no circumstances must we let this girl go. Victor, I need you to keep the Wolverine and any others who get in your way as far away from our Rogue as possible. Mystique, do whatever is necessary to get her on our side."

"Consider it done," replied the shape shifter crossing her arms. Sabertooth simply nodded his head in agreement.

"Good." Magneto turned to stare out into the sky deep in thought. "The war has come, Charles. Are you ready to succumb to your fate?"

**The Big Easy:**

Rogue rubbed her tired eyes as she gazed at the pink sunset overhead. The day was finally ending, and she still wasn't altogether sure where she was going to crash for the night. She didn't have enough money to stay in a hotel and still get by for the next few days. Rogue needed a miracle if she was going to survive her newfound life.

"All I need is some money," she murmured to herself as she watched a young couple walk by hand in hand. Rogue felt a tinge of envy at the closeness of the couple, but quickly brushed it aside when she caught sight of a red headed girl her age, headed straight towards her.

"Hi," said the red head casually smiling brightly at Rogue. The brunette felt herself freeze as she stared back at the pretty teen. People usually stayed away from her in case she was just as much trouble as she looked. It seemed humans were wary of runaways, feeling that doing something would get them mixed up in bad business. Yet here was this red head acting as though there was nothing wrong with Rogue. That was more than enough reason for the brunette to bristle uncomfortably.

"My name's Jean Grey, I was wondering if I could talk to you for a minute," continued the girl sweetly.

Rogue simply shrugged in dumbstruck horror. Talking hadn't been in her plans for the rest of her life, but she couldn't just get up and walk away, could she? Try as she might Rogue couldn't just wipe away the years of upbringing her parents had instilled in her, and with that had come the infamous southern hospitality that required polite response. At this point Rogue wasn't sure what was more of a curse—what she did to people with a simple touch or the person she had been raised to become.

Jean bit her lip, as if trying to decide how to continue on. Rogue tensed at her next words. "I know you're running away from home. That you're from Mississippi…and something bad happened there."

"That's it, I'm done listening," said Rogue grabbing her bag and getting to her feet. She wouldn't stay here and listen to someone accuse her of being a murderer. Cody was still alive as far as she knew, and while the teen desperately wanted to return home and undo all that she had done, she also knew it was impossible. If someone knew who she was that meant it wouldn't be long before the cops arrived to bring her in. Louisiana wasn't all that far from Mississippi—she'd be home before she knew it if she didn't get away now.

"Wait!" Jean rushed on. "I want to help you. I know what it's like to be scared and feel like you're all alone. But you really aren't! There are others like you!"

"Others like me? Can they kill people with a touch of their hands? Did their folks sell them out too? I don't think you know what it's like to be alone. No one knows what I'm going through. No one can help me." Rogue shook her head. "So please, just leave me alone. I have to live with what I've done for the rest of my life…I don't need anyone trying to make things better. It's impossible."

"Professor Xavier can. He owns a school for kids like us; kids with powers they can't control. He helps teach restraint and control so you can learn how to use your powers carefully. He's helped me."

Rogue looked at the red head doubtfully. "Can he get rid of my curse?"

Jean shook her head. She hadn't expected that question, but at the same time she had known it would come. Most people new to their powers believed their powers could be taken away like it was nothing more than a small wart.

Rogue gave a sharp nod and turned her back to walk away. Her question had been answered, and with it had come the decision that staying it alone was her best bet. She didn't want to endanger others and staying in a place with other people would only ensure that happened. She could just as easily learn how her curse worked on her own as she could with someone else guiding her. It was easier to be alone in the end. Being alone meant not getting attached to people; people that would eventually let her down as her family had done.

"Wait!" called out Jean following Rogue. "Are you just going to walk away like that? The Professor can help you learn how to control your powers."

"Powers are abilities like super strength or running like the speed of light. What I have is a curse. My skin is poison, Jeanie. I don't think anyone can help me with that."

Jean pleaded in gentle voice. "You should really just give the Professor a chance. I swear we only want to protect you from people who abhor all mutants. The ones who want to lock us up and throw away the key."

Rogue continued to shake her head. "I don't think so. People get hurt around me. I'm better off on my own." With that Rogue stepped off the path and into the trees of the park, disappearing from sight. Jean gave a deep sigh and sent a message to the others with her mind.

_Sorry guys, she wouldn't listen to me. Your turn._

"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" Rogue berated herself as she took on a faster pace through the trees. She breathed in relief when the trees opened out upon an old cemetery. She could hide here for the night, and come tomorrow she would high tail it out of New Orleans—especially now that some people apparently knew who…and what…she was. She should have known going somewhere she had been talking about for ages would be the first place people would look.

"Excuse me!" came a voice from behind Rogue.

The teenage girl groaned in frustration. "Why me?" She turned around to tell off the caller, but caught her breath when she laid eyes on a teenage boy with brown hair and the oddest pair of sunglasses with red lenses. There was something about him that told Rogue that he was sincere and meant no harm…and his looks weren't bad to stare at either. Unable to tell the boy to go away Rogue simply waited for him to speak again.

"My name's Scott Summers. I know you don't want to listen to what I have to say, but…we really want to help you out."

Rogue almost groaned. She had been hoping he'd be a local stranger like the type she had read about in books. Apparently that just wasn't meant to be. "You're one of them, huh? Figures. Look, I don't need your help. I'm perfectly fine on my own. I stay away from people for a very good reason. So why can't y'all just leave me alone?" Rogue raised her eyebrows as the teen struggled for an answer.

"Look, we just want to be your friends. We want to help you out. I know its hard coming to terms with your powers, but it'll get better. I promise." Scott shoved his hands into his pockets with a grim face. Rogue was proving harder to help out than any of the other mutants at the mansion had been.

"You don't know what I've done."

"It doesn't matter what you've done," replied Scott softly. "You can't let it define who you are and who you will become. You have to move past it…put it behind you. You can keep running, but eventually you'll run out of places to go. We're offering you a home, a chance to start over. Let us help you."

She could feel herself wavering, if only because she was tired of running…and both the boy and the girl seemed so genuine with their words. What if there was a chance she could learn to control her powers? Wouldn't that be just as good as getting rid of it? She could only run for so long before something dire happened—like accidentally killing someone. Perhaps getting help was better than nothing at all. Before Rogue could reply however, a large figure jumped out of the bushes with a menacing growl. Rogue gave a shriek as she caught sight of Sabertooth and his sharp claws.

"Hello, girlie," growled the evil mutant with a snicker. "I think you've reached the end of your lines running tonight."

"Who the hell are you?" gasped Rogue taking a step away from the overgrown feline.

"Your worst nightmare."

"Not so fast, bub!" came another growl. Rogue turned around and felt her head spinning with fear as she caught sight of another menacing mutant. He had steel claws coming out of his knuckles, and by the looks of his face, Rogue didn't consider him a very forgiving person.

"Wolverine. It's been a while. How'd you know I was coming?" chuckled Sabertooth forgetting about Rogue for a second.

"You forgot to take a bath, Sabby. I could smell you a mile away," replied Wolverine. Sabertooth narrowed his eyes and howled as he leapt towards his archenemy. Rogue's eyes widened and she took off running deeper into the cemetery as the two mutants came together in combat. No matter how sincere that boy had been, those two mutant felines had appeared after she had stopped to talk to him. There was no way in hell Rogue was going to stick around and be clawed to death. She would take her chances with running.

"Aw crap!" muttered Scott. "Jean, she's running again. Sabretooth is here, I think Magneto's looking for our girl."

_I know. I sense Mystique nearby. Kitty and Kurt are in position if Rogue runs their way._

Rogue ran like there was no tomorrow. She was scared beyond all reason. It seemed like everyone was after her now, never before had she felt so helpless. She glanced over her shoulder and cursed when she saw Scott still following her. She turned back to watch where she was going, only to collide head on with another dark haired teenage boy. Her eyes widened as his bare hand came into contact with her cheek in the fall.

The boy's eyes popped open as he felt Rogue drain some of his powers before she pulled away and scrambled backwards against a gravestone. Her heart was racing and her eyes were as wide as saucers now. This was exactly what she didn't want to happen, but it had.

"Kurt!" screamed a dark haired girl rushing to the boy's side as he lost consciousness. "Kurt!"

Scott came to halt and knelt down beside Kurt before looking over at Rogue. Her eyes were wide and haunted as tears began to form. She shook her head as if to prevent him from saying anything. "Why can't you just leave me alone?" she whispered. Then in a puff of smoke she was gone.

**A/N—Chapter 2: Rogue revised as of May 17, 2007.**


	4. A Second Chance

Chapter 3—Alliances

**Disclaimer: Does not belong to me.**

**Chapter 3—A Second Chance**

Rogue gave a shriek of surprise as she came tumbling out of mid air and onto the ground. She looked around in confusion, and only let out a sigh of relief when she didn't see anyone nearby. Finally she would be able to get out of town in one piece. It didn't matter that she didn't know where she was, that was only a minor detail. All that mattered was that she had managed to leave Scott, Jean, the feral felines, and the other two teens behind. Closing her eyes Rogue tried to calm her racing heart before piecing together another plan—one that would keep her alive and free from touching other people.

"God," she moaned in ragged breaths, "why can't I just be left alone?"

"Maybe if you weren't such a screw up things would be different," was the sharp reply. Rogue sucked in her breath as she caught sight of Jean once more. The red head looked the same as she had in the park, but now there was an unmistakable void of anger evident in the other girl's face.

"Look, just leave me alone. I didn't mean to hurt him. I told y'all to go away," protested Rogue as Jean stood above her with her hands on her hips.

"It's a little too late for that now, isn't it? I tried to help you…I offered you a place, a future. But you are so fucking high on your horse that you won't let me. Well, I'm tired of being nice."

"Oh shit!" Rogue scrambled to her feet just in time to block one of Jean's punches. The red head tried another swing, but was stopped once again by Rogue. She said a mental prayer of thanks to Cody for taking all those martial arts classes because they were finally coming in handy.

"I never told you what powers I possess, did I?" asked Jean taking a step back. Rogue was silent. New as she was to being a mutant she knew from reading in the papers that some mutants had powers that could destroy a person's life, or their self, in a matter of seconds.

"I'm a telepath. I could read your mind right now…and I could erase it. How would you like that?"

Rogue clamped her jaw shut and quickly sprinted away from Jean. Behind her she could hear the once sweet Jean laughing at her fear. Rogue continued running until she saw a hiding place. There ahead of her was an open tomb. She didn't think twice as she ran inside, hoping against hope that no one would dare follow her inside.

"Are you running from them too?" asked a quiet voice from the shadows of the tomb. Rogue paused and searched for the speaker. She took a step back when a woman with dark hair and eyes came to stand before her.

"Who are you? Are you one of them…the ones after me?"

"No. I've been hiding from them for years. They're the X-Men, you know."

"The X-what? I honestly don't care who they are. I just want to be left alone," replied Rogue wearily. She leaned against the wall of the tomb and slid to the ground in defeat. Her body was sore from the many nights spent sleeping on park benches, and now this constant running at the drop of a hat. She wasn't sure how much of it she would be able to handle. "I'm so tired of running."

"You shouldn't have to run, dear. Mutants shouldn't have to live in fear of their lives." The woman eyed Rogue carefully before sitting a few feet away from her.

"What would you know, huh? Are you a mutant too?"

"Yes."

"Let me guess, you can help me too…you want to give me a chance just like this Xavier fellow, right?"

The woman shook her head. "Xavier and I have differing views on how mutants should live. All I want you to do is listen to what I have to say."

"Might as well, I've listened to everyone else talk."

"The X-Men stand for peace…Xavier believes that mutants and humans can live together in harmony. No violence, no war, no hate."

"Hate's impossible. It's the oldest sin in the book; you can't get rid of it that easily. Look at all the hate groups still around today." Rogue frowned as she recalled the history lessons she had listened to in school. Hate was something everyone was born with—she could vaguely remember a bible story talking about original sin or something. The teen hadn't paid very much attention when she had attended church with her family.

"Exactly, but Xavier thinks it's possible."

"It's a nice dream, but I doubt it's going to happen anytime soon. Obviously you don't agree with this Professor. So what's your story?"

"Mutants shouldn't have to hide who they are from the world. Equality won't happen unless mutants take action. I work for the Brotherhood of Mutants. Our mission is to get results. You know about the Mutant Registration Act going through Congress?"

"Who hasn't? It's only in the papers like every day. It's like the Holocaust all over again. Mutants will have to register their names on a list and be sent to some internment camp for life. No one wants to believe that the camps are going to be nothing more than the concentration camps that Jews were sent to. But it doesn't really matter yet, the bill hasn't passed."

"But someday it may. I won't lie to you. The Brotherhood takes drastic measures against all those who stand in our way. Like the X-Men. If we must, we fight them." The woman looked directly at Rogue to gauge her reactions.

The teen snorted. "Vigilantes? That's rich. Y'all just can't get along so you fight it out? I'm not joining anyone's cause, lady. I don't give a shit about peace or equality. As far as I'm concerned, no one—no mutant, no human—is ever going to accept me for my curse."

"I'm not asking you to join me. I'm only offering a small chance at normalcy. If you come with me I'll give you a place to stay, food, clothing. Xavier would have you join his students to fight those against this vision he has of the future. If you don't want to fight, then don't. But you shouldn't have to run forever, my dear. What kind of life is that?"

Rogue shook her head. She wasn't willing to give in just like that, but she had to admit having a place to stay without question would be nice…she knew she couldn't run forever. Yet, giving in would be asking a lot of Rogue. It would require trusting this complete stranger in front of her, and the teen wasn't ready to trust anyone. "Look, the offer's nice and all, but I think I'll pass. I'm a lot safer on my own." Rogue slowly got to her feet and turned towards the open door of the tomb. The woman also stood and placed a gentle hand on Rogue's shoulder.

"I know what it's like to run. I ran for my whole life."

Rogue turned around and let out a tiny gasp at what she saw. The woman's hair went from brown to red, her eyes became yellow, and her skin…the peach colored flesh slowly turned blue. Rogue shook her head in a daze as she slowly came to terms with what had just happened. This woman was like her. She was a mutant as well, though there had been very little doubt about that. To see her as she truly was Rogue finally saw a glimmer of hope that perhaps someone out there truly did understand her and what she was going through.

"You see, my dear, I don't always look human. For a long time I couldn't control my powers. I'm a shape shifter. I can't teach you how to control yours, I won't deny that. I can't offer you a cure either, but I can offer you protection. If you come with me I will keep all who want you as far away as I can."

Rogue was silent for a moment. The offer was too good to be true. "Why me? Why am I so popular all of a sudden?"

"You possess great powers. You could change the tides of a battle with a single touch. You'll be a great asset to any team you join. I hope you'll one day join mine, but I won't push it. You need someplace to stay, or you'll end up in some lab. So, what do you say? Will you come with me?"

The blue woman held out a hand and Rogue studied it, deep in thought. If she did this she would be putting her life in the hands of a complete stranger. She would be doing what she knew would probably be a bad idea, but what choice was left to her? She didn't want to fight any battles—she didn't believe there was a place for her on either side of the mutant debate. Her powers were proof enough of that. After a minute Rogue placed her own gloved hand in the woman's and shook it. "You got a deal, lady."

"Call me Mystique."

"I'm Rogue."

**The X-Jet:**

"She seemed to have just vanished into thin air. I couldn't find her anywhere. But I did find traces of Mystique," said Jean as they settled into their seats. Behind her she could hear Kurt groan groggily. He was finally beginning to wake up from his encounter with Rogue.

Xavier let out a deep sigh as he looked over at his brightest student. "Rogue is very vulnerable. I'm afraid Mystique got her before we did. I don't know what means she used, but I believe Rogue has gone with her for protection."

"Mystique ain't nothing but a lying bitch," muttered Logan as he and Ororo prepared the jet for flight. "Sabretooth scared the kid out of her mind on purpose. I can only imagine what tricks Mystique used to connive the Rogue to her side."

"So she, like, works for the Brotherhood now? How wrong is that?" groaned Kitty from her seat next to Kurt.

"Well," started Kurt, "she has one mean punch, ja?"

Scott frowned. "I swear she was gonna let us help her when I talked to her. She sounded so tired of running, and scared. You should've seen her face when she accidentally touched Kurt, Professor. She was frightened."

"Rogue has a great power, but at a terrible cost. Every time she touches someone, a part of that person lives on in her mind. I don't believe Rogue has joined the Brotherhood to fight. I think she joined for a different reason altogether," replied the Professor.

"Like what?" questioned Ororo. "Magneto will want her to join his trainees eventually."

"And given some time, Rogue may do just that. No, she went with Mystique because she was given the truth."

"The truth?" Scott shook his head as Jean glanced over at the Professor.

"Professor, I hardly think Rogue would go with Mystique if she knew what kind of plans they might have for her," murmured the red head.

"I think Mystique offered Rogue a chance at a semi-normal life…and future. The Brotherhood firmly believes that they will triumph in this war between humans and mutants. To someone like Rogue, their vision seems more likely than one of peace and hope. Rogue is trying to protect herself from her greatest fear. Her powers are dangerous. If the Mutant Registration Act were to pass, Rogue would be one of the first mutants whisked away because of her powers. She's a bright girl. Given some time she may leave the Brotherhood, she may come to us, or she may go off on her own. We must simply wait and see."

"You sound like a damn optimist, Chuck," muttered Logan. "The old Tin-Can isn't going let her go that easily. She's too damn important to lose."

**The Brotherhood of Mutants:**

Rogue and Mystique stood outside of the doorway of the boarding house in silence. Mystique had returned to human form and was busy searching for her keys to the locked front door. Rogue studied the dreary house and gave a small smile. It may have been a little rundown, but after the events of the last few days it was whole lot better than sleeping on another bench.

"It ain't exactly a four star place, huh?" she teased Mystique as the older mutant finally pulled out her keys.

Mystique snorted in amusement. "The occupants aren't much better. They're boys, and the messiest ones I have ever come across."

Rogue grinned as Mystique stuck the key into the lock. During the drive back from New Orleans, Rogue had grown close to her new guardian. Mystique was brutally honest and caring. Something Rogue had never truly experienced from her adopted parents back in Mississippi. Mystique had begun to teach her martial arts to protect herself rather than forcing the teen to use the powers she hated. Rogue was slowly beginning to trust the shape shifter, which was a nice change. It was as though she had found someone she could rely on if only because the older woman didn't pressure her to do anything or be who she wasn't. Rogue felt freer than she had in an awfully long time.

Mystique pushed the door open and froze with Rogue behind her. The house was still a mess. "Apparently the clean up crew gave up long before they ever started," muttered Mystique as Rogue closed the door behind her.

"What's that smell?" Rogue wrinkled her nose in disgust.

A male voice answered from the top of the stairs. "It's probably Toad, he hasn't bothered to take a shower for the past few days."

"I thought I told you boys to clean up this sty before I came back," snapped Mystique edgily. Rogue felt a wry smile appear on her face as the teen boy scowled. It was obvious he didn't fear Mystique, and it was more than obvious he wasn't someone to take lightly.

"Gee Mystique, why don't you clean it up? We couldn't find the cleaning materials anywhere. Pietro didn't wanna go buy any, and neither Toad nor I are allowed at the grocery store anymore, so we were screwed."

"Great roomies you got me, Mystique," whispered Rogue slipping past her guardian. Mystique gave a small growl as she locked eyes with her defiant charge on the stairway. Rogue walked through the living room and rolled her eyes at the mess she saw. Everything seemed to be in a haphazard condition. The southerner had seen junk yards cleaner than this. She entered the kitchen and came across a rather amusing scene.

A white haired boy was zipping back and forth from the fridge to the counter making a sandwich faster than Rogue could blink. Perched on the ceiling fan was another boy with green tinted hair and skin. He was entertaining himself by catching flies with a flick of his tongue. Rogue pursed her lips as she considered the boys in front of her. Mystique had mentioned the other charges living at the boarding house on the drive here, but these weren't at all quite like she had imagined them to be. It was actually rather nice to come across people who felt as she did, that the world would always be against them.

With a smirk Rogue cleared her throat, "Ahem."

Both boys stopped what they were doing to look towards the doorway. The white haired boy stopped in between the fridge and counter and eyed Rogue with narrowed eyes. While she was easy on the eyes he was suspicious. Pretty girls didn't just come to the boarding house unless they were with him…and he doubted Lance had managed to find himself a girl, so obviously this girl was unwelcome company.

"Who're you?" he demanded, ignoring the blobs of ketchup that dripped down his black shirt.

"Yeah, and how'd you get in, yo? I locked the door," said the other boy dropping in front of Rogue.

Mystique answered as she breezed into the room. "She's boarding with us for a while. I'm her new guardian."

"Uh-huh, who are you, girl?" asked the dark haired boy coming to stand beside the new mutant. He gave Rogue a once over that made the southerner frown darkly.

Stepping away from him a tiny step she shot him a look that clearly said to stay out of her personal space. She may trust Mystique, but she wasn't going to open up to anyone else that easily until she knew them better. "Rogue. Who are you? Grouchy?" she returned waspishly.

"They call me Avalanche. That's Quicksilver and Toad." He indicated Pietro and Toad with a point of his finger that Rogue followed with the smallest of glances. The names were odd, though she supposed hers was just as odd as any of them. Nodding she asked, "Did your mother give you that name?"

"Lance Alvers." Lance stuck out his hand, but Rogue barely glanced at it, causing the male to frown. Normally he didn't try for the friendly approach, but considering Rogue was the first female member of their little crew he had figured that going the polite route would enable him to get to know her a little better…or at least keep Pietro from calling dibs like he normally did at school.

"Not very friendly, are we?" observed the green boy staring up at Rogue with awe. He hadn't met very many people who didn't try to make good with Lance before, at least not outside the X-Men. Normally people were afraid of the other boy and didn't like to draw attention to themselves by blowing him off like Rogue had just done. She was quickly moving up several notches in Toad's book of cool people.

"Should I be?" questioned Rogue turning to glance at the green teen.

"Probably not. The name's Todd Tolensky, but you can call me Toad. Everyone else does."

"And I'm Pietro Maximoff, at your service." The white haired boy had Rogue's gloved hand to his lips before she could say a word. She pulled her hand out of his grasp and moved to stand by the counter. Being too close to other people still made her queasy, and surprise attacks like that weren't exactly acceptable in Rogue's eyes.

"It'd be best if y'all didn't touch me. I might accidentally hurt you."

Pietro frowned. "That's no fun. Strip poker's out, huh?"

"Not unless you want to die, Speedy." Rogue shot him a glare, bringing a grin to Lance's face.

"You're all right, Rogue. I think you're gonna fit in just fine." Lance grinned even wider at Rogue's small blush. The southern mutant turned away from her new roommates and looked around the kitchen. She didn't like the way his smile made her feel. It reminded her too much of Cody, and that was a wound Rogue wasn't ready to open back up just yet. Instead she looked for something else to occupy her mind.

"First things first, boys, if I'm going to live here I don't want to live in a pig sty. We need to clean house," announced Rogue. Mystique gave a satisfied smile of approval and went over to the kitchen sink. She pulled out a bucket, scrubbers, and a bottle of Lysol.

"I'll leave you kids to get better acquainted," said Mystique handing the materials to Rogue. On her way out of the kitchen she gave her three male charges a sharp look before disappearing. Lance, Pietro, and Toad all turned to Rogue awaiting her orders. While none of them were particularly keen to be told what to do, they were willing to make a small sacrifice for Rogue's sake. There was something about her that put them at ease, possibly because she was a girl, and all three of them tended to try and be a little more charming around girls.

Rogue handed Lance the bucket and Lysol, and Pietro the scrubbers. "Lance, fill the bucket with warm water, and," she studied the yellow cleaner carefully, alternating glances at the floor, "better do that whole bottle of Lysol to be on the safe side. Pietro, tie these to your hands and feet, you're the fastest one so you'll be able to get the place shining in no time."

Toad was hopping up and down in anticipation. "Ooo. Ooo. What about me?"

Rogue looked over at the overfilled trash can by the sink and wrinkled her nose once again. "Take out the trash and then take a shower. There's a such thing as personal hygiene, you know?"

"Huh? You tryin' to tell me I stink?" Toad became very still.

"Uh-huh. You don't clean up, then I'll have to force you, and you won't like it very much."

Both Lance and Pietro chuckled as they set to work with their chores. As Lance was filling the bucket with hot water he called over to Rogue, "So what are your powers?"

"You'll just have to wait and see, now won't you?" returned Rogue. She gave Lance a small smile before heading back into the living room. She listened to the boys as they began to argue amongst themselves about their chores, causing Rogue to grin. Living here didn't seem so bad after all. The boys were turning out to be a little easier to handle than she had anticipated, and they weren't pressing her to spill out everything about herself. It was nice to come somewhere and be able to keep things to herself…to start over.

She turned to head upstairs in search of her guardian when she caught sight of an envelope on the floor beneath the door. Rogue picked up the envelope, and tore it open after seeing her name written across it. Inside was a letter.

_Rogue,_

_Welcome to the Brotherhood. I know Mystique has told you about some of the activities we participate in, but I would like to talk with you personally. Meet me at the park tonight at midnight—but don't tell anyone else where you are going. I have my reasons for keeping this secretive, but I am sure that you would like to hear what I have to say. It is about your birth parents, the ones who gave you up. My best wishes on your new home. I hope you enjoy your stay._

_--Erik Magnus Lensherr_

Rogue folded the letter up and tucked it into her pants pocket. She knew this Erik fellow was in fact the leader of the Brotherhood—Mystique had mentioned him a few times, and each time she spoke with genuine warmth and respect. But to actually go and meet with him in secret. Rogue shuddered. She hadn't expected that. Rogue had thought she would be left to her own devices as Mystique had said she would…

"Rogue, are you alright?" questioned Mystique appearing at the top of the stairs.

"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine. I just want to thank you for bringing me here. I'm starting to feel safer than I have for weeks now." Rogue looked up at her guardian and gave her a teary eyed smile. It was true she felt safe now. All the running and moving from place to place had taken its toll on the teen, so it was a relief to know that perhaps she wouldn't have to do that anymore.

"I'm glad you're adjusting well. I know the past few weeks have been hectic. I prepared a room for you. Tomorrow we can go shopping and get you settled as a new member of our…dysfunctional family. Then we need to get paperwork set up for you. You're going to need a last name if you're to enroll at school."

"School? But won't the kids know I'm a mutant?"

Mystique shook her head. "The X-Men and Brotherhood share the mutual decision to keep our identities as mutants a secret from the public. If you stick close to Alvers and his gang then the other kids will leave you alone."

"I don't need protection, I can take care of myself."

"But in case the X-Men try to harass you…stick close to Lance. He'll take care of them for you."

Rogue opened her mouth to protest but quickly shut it as she remembered the look on Jean Grey's face in their last encounter. Maybe for once she'd do as she was told. She followed Mystique to her new room and thanked her once again before being left alone to her thoughts.

"I wonder what you really want," murmured Rogue to the letter from Erik Lensherr as she pulled it out of her pocket. She had a gut feeling that if she went she'd be stuck in this new life she had chosen. Rogue plopped herself down on her bed and glanced out the window, she had a few hours to decide whether or not to hear the mighty leader out or flat out ignore him.

_Either way, I bet this guy won't just leave me alone._ And while the thought was hardly a comforting one, Rogue didn't want to start running again. Uncertainty clouded her mind, and as she struggled to decide whether or not to go meet the man or not, Rogue finally drifted off to sleep.

**A/N—As of June 2, 2007, Chapter 3: A Second Chance has been revised.**


	5. Alliances

Disclaimer—I keep forgetting this part, but I'm pretty sure you guys know I don't own any of this stuff

**Disclaimer—I'm pretty sure you guys know I don't own any of this stuff.**

**Chapter 4—Alliances**

Rogue watched her breath in the cold air. It was a quarter past midnight, and she was waiting in the park for the high and mighty leader of the Brotherhood of Mutants. It had taken a lot of skill to sneak out of the boarding house after the occupants had all gone to sleep. Apparently none of the guys believed in going to bed before midnight, only after Rogue had heard them all go into their respective bedrooms did she go out the front door.

During the walk to the park Rogue had gone over the reasons in her head as to why she had decided to meet Erik Lensherr. What it all came down to was curiosity. She was curious to hear what he had to say…and she wanted to know about her birth parents. Before she had come into her curse Rogue had never cared about the parents who had abandoned her, but now she wanted to know who and what they were.

"Where the hell is he?" muttered Rogue under her breath as she stamped her feet on the ground. She had taken someone's jacket off the coat rack in the hall, but it wasn't warm enough to stand in the fall weather for long periods at a time.

"I'm a bit surprised you came, Rogue," said a voice pleasantly. Rogue turned around to face the speaker and came face to face with a distinguished looking gentleman with white hair and blue eyes. Studying his face Rogue felt there was something vaguely familiar about him.

"You're late," she shot back acerbically.

"I am never late, Rogue. I have been here watching you for the past fifteen minutes. I wasn't sure if you would come hear me out, or stay under Mystique's watchful eyes. You're quite a girl, you know that. Since the moment your powers developed, you have become the most wanted mutant on the globe." Erik stood tall as he gazed down at the shivering teen.

"I never asked to be so popular. I'd rather be home with my parents getting ready for the new baby." She didn't believe him that her powers had made her wanted everywhere. Not everyone knew what powers she had, or that she even had powers. Rogue suspected that Erik was exaggerating, but what she didn't know was the reason for. What was the big deal about her curse? Why not go after someone like Jean Grey who could erase minds with a single thought?

Erik paused and then narrowed his eyes. "They are not your real parents, Rogue. They were simply your caretakers after you were abandoned at their door. You owe them nothing but gratitude for keeping you alive. They betrayed you in the end—they were going to sell you out to the authorities."

Rogue snorted and rolled her eyes. This guy was a slow learner. "Look, buddy, I didn't come here to talk about Priscilla and Owen. I came to hear what you have to say. You made a big deal on keeping it quiet; so don't push mah buttons. I'm freezing, I'm tired, and I _really_ don't trust you."

"Where are your allegiances, Rogue?"

"Huh?" Rogue was at a loss for words as she stared at the man in front of her. She hadn't expected to be questioned. At least not along these lines. She had only just arrived at the boarding house, she had made no alliances thus far.

"Your loyalty. Who do you answer to in the end?"

"Myself." Then realization dawned on the teen. "No! I told Mystique I wasn't picking sides for this damn war. In the end I'll be the one that neither side wants to keep around. Don't you dare ask me to choose a side now!"

Erik chuckled at Rogue's feeble protests. This was going to work better than he had originally planned. "Rogue, Rogue, Rogue. Don't you know that you can't stay on the sidelines for long? It's a deadly decision, I know. But I promise, I will never dispose of you in the end. I need you, Rogue. I need your powers, your skills. I need you to work for me."

"Mystique said I didn't have to work for the Brotherhood," whispered Rogue hoarsely. She shrank under the baleful glare sent her way.

"I am not asking you to work for the Brotherhood. I am asking you to work for me."

"For you? But, aren't you in charge of the Brotherhood?" Rogue was confused now. As far as she had been concerned Erik Lensherr _was_ the Brotherhood.

"Yes. Mystique is training the Brotherhood to their full potentials. Every day she searches for another recruit to her team. My son is even now a member of my mission. But, I also have other uses for mutants on my side. Mystique is my best spy with her shape shifting, that is why she is my right hand. She and I share everything…

"There is another that I trust to work for me. You met him in New Orleans. His name is Sabertooth. A beastly mutant, yes, but effective in taking my rivals out."

Rogue thought back on the tawny haired beast that had come after her in the Big Easy and mentally kicked herself for her stupidity. Of course Mystique had asked her to come to the Brotherhood for "safe keeping"; Sabertooth had scared her right into the shape shifter's arms. Rogue bit her lip and stared Erik in the eyes. Without speaking she instantly knew she had walked right into a trap. Whether or not Mystique knew the mighty boss had planned to force Rogue onto their side no longer mattered. She had no choice now.

"What is it you want?" she asked with a deep sigh.

"I need a mutant inside the Brotherhood to keep an eye on what happens there. Mystique may be my right hand, but I wouldn't put it past her to train my own group against me. She's a tricky woman; she'll do whatever it takes to protect herself, rather than the cause we fight for. I want you to watch her for me, as well as the Brotherhood. Let me know if I have reason to worry that they will betray me." Out of his coat pocket, Erik pulled out a beeper and handed it to Rogue. The brunette stared at it for several long minutes before snatching it out of his hands.

"What's in it for me?" she asked turning the beeper over in her gloved hands.

"I have been looking for your parents since I found out about your powers. So far I only know a handful of details. They were both mutants, and gave you up for being normal at birth. Little did they realize you would come into your own seventeen years later."

Rogue was silent as she digested Eric's words. "They didn't want me?"

"From what I can tell, no, but there is one other who knows more about your parentage than I do. I won't tell you unless you promise to be loyal to me. I don't care if you work with the Brotherhood…or if you turn around and join the X-Men. No matter who you work for, Rogue, I want to be assured that you will always answer to me. I will protect you. I will train you to use your powers. And I will always give you the truth. Mystique does care what happens to you. In her own sick way she is attached to all of her charges in the Brotherhood, but that won't stop her from lying to you for her own games. Do we have a deal?"

Rogue looked at the beeper in her hands and then at the man before her. Whatever she did now would define her future.

**The Next Day:**

Rogue yawned as she clambered down the staircase to the fresh smells of eggs and bacon. In the kitchen she found Lance busy making himself breakfast. No one else had woken up yet, not that Rogue could blame them. It was early even by her own standards, but she had grown used to keeping her own hours. It would be hard to return to a schedule that required she fit school into it.

"Hey," said Lance glancing her way.

"Hey." Rogue was quiet as she watched him flip the bacon. He didn't seem so rough early in the morning, not that he had been rough yesterday when they had met. But he did seem gentler this morning. Perhaps his attitude was something he used when Pietro and Toad were around to keep up appearances as the leader of their ragtag crew.

"You wanna join me for breakfast? I mean, I figure you'll want to eat before we head to school. The cafeteria food isn't all that great." Lance looked over at her with his brown eyes and broke into a grin as Rogue nodded yes to his offer. He quickly grabbed two plates and loaded them with eggs and bacon. He placed them down on the kitchen table and waved Rogue to the seat in front of him. Rogue pursed her lips before sitting down.

"So what's it like at school?" she asked picking up her fork.

Lance shrugged. "We're kinda like the school outcasts, the bullies. The X-Geeks are more of the popular crowd…as long as they keep their mutant powers a secret. Other than that, school pretty much sucks."

"Oh." Rogue lapsed into silence, giving Lance a chance to study her. Her brown hair hung loose down to her shoulders, and there was a tired look in her green eyes, but none of that made her any less beautiful in his eyes. Small boned and of average height, Rogue had a certain quality about her that made her attractive.

After a minute he spoke up again. "So Mystique threatened me if anything happened to you at school…actually I think she'd kill me if anything happened to you period. How come?"

Rogue glanced up and met Lance's gaze with calm intensity. "She's probably worried the X-Freaks will come after me again. That or she's concerned I can't control my powers at school."

"What power makes you so dangerous, Rogue? From what I hear, the X-Men are still sore you went with Mystique and not them. For those fuckers to be upset over losing another recruit for their team, you must be one hell of a fighter."

"My powers aren't something to be proud of. If anyone gets too close they get hurt. I don't mean to hurt them, it just happens." Rogue glanced back down at her breakfast, turning her next words into little more than whispers. "Y'all won't mind if I tag along at school, will you?" Talking about her curse had left her feeling a little more down than she wanted. It was to be expected though considering Rogue was still having a hard time coming to terms with what she was and what she wasn't. In her head she could still feel Cody and the blue furred boy that had tried to attack her alongside the X-Men. It wasn't something she liked to feel; it made the southerner feel less whole…fear gnawed at her that if she wasn't careful she would one day lose her sanity.

"Huh? No." Lance gave Rogue a reassuring smile as Pietro and Toad entered the kitchen.

"Hey, where's mine?" demanded Pietro glaring down at Lance and Rogue as they ate their breakfast.

Lance chuckled and gave Pietro a pat on the back, nearly knocking the white haired teen to the ground. "Sorry, Speedy. You snooze, you lose."

Rogue giggled as Todd's face fell at the thought of going hungry. Then she rolled her eyes and pushed her plate towards him and Pietro. "Here, you guys can finish mine."

"Yo, you are my favorite person now. Thanks!" Todd grabbed the plate and greedily gobbled it down. Pietro scowled and crossed his arms across his chest.

"Just wait, Alvers, I'll make you pay for this," he muttered to himself.

"Sure thing, Maximoff. Care to take it outside?" Lance clenched his fists and let out a small tremor. Pietro grabbed a hold of the counter for support as Rogue clutched her seat. Todd ignored the threat and continued licking the plate. It was just another day at the boarding house to him.

"For Christssakes, Lance, don't bring the house crashing down!" screeched Mystique entering the room. Rogue glanced over at her guardian and did a double take at what she saw. The shape shifter looked human again with her dark hair and eyes, and a pair of eye glasses. Judging by her business like suit, Rogue figured Mystique was going somewhere.

"Where're you off to?" asked Rogue casually.

"School. I sent memos out this morning letting the teachers know that you are a new student and that it would be best if they refrained from questioning your previous home, as the situation with your parents has become a tragic one. I told them that you are my foster daughter for now on, and as such, you will use my last name for safety's sake," answered Mystique smoothing out her pants.

"You go to school too?" Rogue frowned.

Pietro snorted. "Please, she'd give herself a heart attack trying to learn new things. She's the principal of Bayville High School. Ms. Darkholme. Kinda creepy if you ask me. But her plan's good. If the teachers don't question Rogue's background, then the X-Geeks won't learn anything more about her."

Mystique nodded in agreement. "Yes, just refrain from using my last name too often, Rogue. The X-Men don't know that I am the principal in disguise. I'd much rather they never find out."

Rogue shrugged. "Fine by me, I'll keep quiet at school. I don't think I'll be making a lot of friends with my curse anyway. I'll just sit in the corner and let Lance fight my battles. That all right by you, Rocky?"

Lance's eyes widened in surprise, and then he grinned. "No problemo, Roguey. I think everything's gonna be just fine, Mystique."

"Fine," relented Mystique eyeing all four of her charges carefully. "Bring Rogue to school and then drop her off at my office. I need to get her schedule in order. Don't do anything stupid today." Her last words were directed towards her male charges before she retreated from the kitchen.

Rogue cocked her head thoughtfully and then turned to her new friends expectantly. "I don't want to know, do I?"

"No," replied Pietro. "But I will tell you this; it was all Lance's fault last time."

**At School:**

Jean stopped at her locker where her boyfriend, Duncan, stood waiting with a single red rose. She glanced up at him and then the rose before rolling her eyes. "Nice try, Duncan. But you aren't getting off that easily for forgetting our anniversary." Jean hid her smile as Duncan groaned.

A few lockers down, Scott was busy lecturing a dark haired boy and a petite brunette. "How many times do I have to warn you guys not to use your powers on the way to school? I don't care who touched who in the car this morning. Can't you wait until we hit the Danger Room tonight to kill each other?"

Kitty Pride groaned. "Like, Scott, can't you drop it? I totally didn't mean to jam Kurt's image thingy. It's not a big deal anymore, isn't that right, elf?"

"Huh?" Kurt Wagner shook his head to try and make sense of Kitty's words. "What did you say? I couldn't understand you talking a mile a minute." His words were tinged with a light German accent, but the frustration behind them needed no understanding.

"All right," cut in Scott with a firm tone. He knew how Kurt and Kitty could be whenever they got into one of their arguments. They were one of those couples that just couldn't seem to get things together, and he had a feeling today was going to be one of their more off days if he didn't put a stop to their arguing. "Just don't screw up today. Kurt, I want you and Evan to leave the Brotherhood alone. I don't care what they do; don't let them get to you."

Kurt snorted as Scott walked away. "Easy for him to say. He doesn't have a smelly frog attacking him at lunch every day."

"No," muttered Kitty slamming her locker shut and leaning against it. "But he does have a stick up his ass. Why does he have to follow the damn rules all the time? He acts like my dad!"

"Hey guys!" called out a voice. Kitty and Kurt turned to wave at Evan Daniels as he joined them. "Wait till you see Lance's new girlfriend. She's pretty stunning."

"Girlfriend? Lance?" Kitty giggled at the thought. Guys like Lance didn't have girlfriends—they didn't know how to treat the opposite sex.

"Evan's right," huffed Bobby Drake jogging over to his friends. "She's hot, and if sh'es hanging out with Lance and his gang you know she's not delicate. Look!"

Kitty followed the blonde boy's pointed finger and narrowed her eyes as she saw Lance walking a girl towards the principal's office. And it wasn't just any girl; it was the girl the X-Men had tried to help in New Orleans.

"They aren't together you morons," said Kitty crisply. "She's the Rogue. She's just staying with the Brotherhood. Xavier said he was sure Rogue wasn't fighting on their side."

"No," murmured Evans as he and Bobby gazed after Rogue's figure. "But she sure as hell ain't fighting with us."

Down the hall Lance was basking in the evil glares sent his way. While Rogue didn't know it yet, she had just been labeled as Lance's girl, and he was going to live it up as much as possible. It wasn't often that he was able to do that, at least not with the X-Men around. Lance caught Scott's eye and gave the X-Man a wink as he opened the door to the Principal's office and followed Rogue inside. Things were definitely starting to look up.

**A/N—As of June 2, 2007, Chapter 4: Alliances has been revised.**


	6. Mercenary

Disclaimer—Don't own any of this stuff

**Disclaimer—Don't own any of this stuff.**

**Chapter 5—Mercenary**

Scott was muttering to himself darkly by the time he took a seat between Kurt and Evan. Kitty glanced up from her tray of food and frowned as Scott began stabbing his fork into his meal. The day had gone from bad to worse and he couldn't quite explain why. One suspicion however was that it had everything to do with Rogue, Lance, and the Brotherhood.

"Something wrong, Scott?" she asked after a minute. It wasn't often that their undeclared leader was pissed, so naturally her curiosity was piqued by this sudden transformation. An angry Scott usually meant there was an interesting story behind his anger. Kitty figured that it had something to do with Duncan and Jean like it normally did, or Bobby and Evan had done something zany again—like pull another prank on him.

"No. No, everything's just…peachy," grumbled Scott.

"Lance do something to you?" questioned Kurt inching away from the older teen. There was always the chance that Scott would start blasting optic beams around if he was pissed enough. Everyone at the mansion knew that was how he had ended up at Xavier's in the first place.

"What didn't he do? He's got Rogue wrapped around his little finger. I don't get why she's hanging around with the Brotherhood. _We're_ the good guys—Lance and them are the school bullies!"

Evan rolled his eyes and turned back to his meal. "Does it really matter? Girls always go for the bad guys first, if we wait it out eventually she'll get tired of the bad guys and come looking for the good guys."

"You guys don't get it, do you?" Kitty gave an exasperated sigh before launching into her own opinion on the Rogue. "I think the Professor's right. Rogue is looking out for herself. Lance isn't one to take any bullshit, and if Rogue stays close to him, she's like guaranteed twenty-four-seven protection."

"Are you sure?" gasped Kurt sneaking a look over at the Brotherhood table. "Maybe they're paying her to hang out with them. I mean, she's kinda scary with her powers."

"Hence the reason why the Brotherhood would want to keep her around," agreed Evan.

Kitty shrugged. "Like sure, why not? Lance totally hates our guts. Scott's especially."

Scott scowled. "Great. Next thing you know Rogue's gonna beat the crap out of us to show loyalty to the Brotherhood."

"I'm not too sure about that," said Bobby taking a seat next to Kitty. "Rogue's in my French class…she's pretty nice once you get to know her."

The rest of the table stopped to stare at the blonde haired boy. Of all the zany things to come out of his mouth in the past, this one actually caught the group by surprise.

"What?" he asked.

"_You_ talked with the Rogue?" demanded Kitty.

"Yeah, she's good at French…though, I think she really was laughing when I suggested she tutor me."

Scott shook his head with a small smile forming. "Bobby, if you can break the ice with Rogue, more power to you."

"What the hell does that mean?"

Kurt snorted. "As if you didn't know. Rogue has been labeled as Lance's girl. If he finds out you're flirting with her he just might want to take your head off."

"Or bury you in a landslide," added Evan. "Rogue has no clue you're an X-Man. The only ones she knows are Scott, Jean, Logan, Kurt and Kitty. Once she discovers that you and me are one of them, she's never gonna speak to us again."

Bobby groaned and buried his face in his arms on the table. "Great, first time a drop-dead gorgeous girl takes notice of me and now she's gonna eat me alive…unless Lance gets to me first."

"Like its okay Bobby. I can totally do a eulogy for you later," grinned Kitty patting her friend on the back.

"Ja, we can all add to it," agreed Kurt nodding.

Two tables down, Lance and Pietro were giving Toad a hard time for getting an A+ on his poetry assignment in English.

"An A, huh Toad?" said Lance casually.

"Yeah, I think the teach liked the words I used," replied Toad.

Pietro chuckled. "That or she thought giving you an A+ would make you skip the rest of the week of school. I'm telling you, Toad, you definitely need to take some more showers."

Toad glared at the speedster and look at Rogue imploringly. "You didn't think my poem was bad, didja, Roguey?"

Rogue smiled. "Of course not, sugar. I thought it had real feeling and all that jazz. The teacher knows talent when she sees it."

Lance groaned. "Aw, come on Rogue, don't encourage him. Next thing you know he's gonna start reciting poetry to us when the T.V. is broken."

"Would that really be so bad, Lance? A little culture?" demanded Rogue glaring at the dark haired teen. Lance frowned, but shook his head. He couldn't argue with Rogue no matter how much he disagreed with her. He was afraid that if he pushed her too far she'd stop talking to him, or go off with Summers and his Happy Days gang of morons. Rogue had a mind of her own and had proven that in calculus when she had actually aced the test she had been given. She wasn't dumb by any means, and smart girls like Rogue usually changed their minds about hanging out with guys like Lance before long…and he was in no hurry to move that along, so he kept his mouth shut.

But Pietro couldnt. "Gimme a break, Rogue. You don't have to lie to protect Toad's feelings. If you hate it just say so, trust me, Toad isn't gonna cry over it."

Rogue narrowed her eyes and then pushed Pietro face down into his plate of food. "Don't be such a cocky bastard, Speedy. You don't want to push my buttons," hissed Rogue as Lance and Toad froze in shock. With that Rogue got to her feet and headed back inside the school.

"I think she just snapped," muttered Pietro trying to wipe off his face with a napkin.

Lance grabbed Pietro by the neck and brought him to eye level. "Fuck off, Maximoff. If I see you make another jab like that at Rogue, I swear to God you'll wish you had never been born." Lance dropped Pietro back into his seat before stalking off after Rogue.

Across the lunchroom Pietro heard a laugh that could belong to none other than his archrival, Evan Daniels. "Looks like the new girl got the best of you, huh, Pietro? Didn't she like the moves you made?" called out Evan. Pietro turned to glare and fumed as the entire X-Men team burst into laughter.

"Don't worry, Daniels, you'll get yours. I promise."

Rogue was fuming by the time she reached her locker. Pietro had pissed her off. She generally liked the teen, but couldn't stand the way he treated Toad. So Tolensky was different. So was she. Mutants needed to stick together, not bring each other down. Rogue jumped in surprise as she felt a vibration on her hip. She glanced around to be sure she was alone, before pulling her beeper off her jeans. She pressed the button and frowned at the number. Apparently the mighty leader was giving her a call. Rogue sighed and placed the beeper back on her hip before opening her locker. She grabbed her messenger bag and pulled it over her shoulder. As she shut the door she came face to face with Lance.

"Hey," she acknowledged quietly. Lance simply nodded.

They stood in silence for a minute before Lance spoke up. "I threatened to kick Pietro's ass if he acted like a prick again."

Rogue gave a small giggle and leaned against her locker. "I don't think Speedy can live life without being an asshole," she murmured.

Lance sighed. "Rogue, I'm not very good at apologizing for anything, especially when it's not my fault. I just…I want you to feel like you belong with us, you know? You're great; you're not one to take anything lying down. Don't let Maximoff get to you. He likes to piss people off."

"You don't need to apologize, Lance. I'm just tired today. That and I don't think it's fair the way you guys treat Toad."

"I promise to stop." Lance gave Rogue a pleading look, and grinned in triumph when she smiled back at him.

"You boys are gonna be the death of me," she chuckled.

"As long as you don't leave us, Roguey."

"I think I'll be sticking around for a while." Rogue looked away from Lance's gaze and focused her attention on the locker across from her. "Hey, Lance? Is Mystique a real stickler for attendance? I have something I want to do, but I can't wait for school to get out."

"Naw, she hasn't yelled at me for all the times I ditched. Do you need a ride?"

Rogue smiled at Lance's offer but shook her head. "I'll be okay. Just' something I want to do on my own. I'll see y'all back at the house, alright?"

Lance nodded. Rogue gave him a reassuring smile, and squeeze of the shoulder before heading towards the school entrance. Lance leaned back against Rogue's locker as he watched her go. He was definitely hooked on his new housemate, and he had a feeling it was only going to get him a shitload of trouble down the road.

Rogue took the steps two at a time as she hastened her pace. She jogged across the street to the nearest pay phone and pulled out some loose change. She grabbed her beeper and quickly punched the given number into the pay phone. The phone rang once before a voice came on the other line.

"I need you to find someone for me," said Eric calmly. Rogue snorted.

"What, you can't find the guy on your own?" she mocked.

"He doesn't trust me, Rogue. His name is Caliban; he's part of an outcast group of mutants known as the Morlocks. Caliban has the ability to sense other mutants. I want you to ask him if he knows of any new mutants in Bayville. I need a new recruit soon."

Rogue frowned as she shifted the phone from one ear to the other. "That's it?" she asked. "You just want me to drill some mutant to find you another member for the Brotherhood?"

"I want you to enlist Caliban to your aid. Get him to work with you, for you—I don't particularly care which. Ensure that if any new mutants hit Bayville _you_ will be the first to know."

"Sounds like a piece of cake, Mags," muttered Rogue dryly.

"I'm fairly sure you can be persuasive to a degree. Don't let him say no. We need this mutant, Rogue," warned Magneto darkly.

"Yeah, yeah. So, where do I find this guy?"

"He'll be hiding in the sewers. You shouldn't have any trouble with that. He's a pale, fragile looking man. He'll most likely come to you to keep you away from their hideout. I'll be in touch."

"The sewers? Are you crazy?" shrieked Rogue. She cursed when the dial tone buzzed in her ear, indicating Magneto had hung up on her. Rogue slammed the receiver back onto its cradle and kicked the bottom of the pay phone in anger. This wasn't how she wanted to spend the remainder of her day.

**The Sewers:**

Rogue looked around carefully as she entered a dark alley. She crossed her fingers and knelt down by the manhole. With baited breath Rogue pulled the manhole open and peered down into the darkness below.

"Mags is gonna pay for this one," she muttered to herself as she placed her feet on the ladder going down into the sewers. Once she was part way down, Rogue reached for the manhole cover and pulled it shut again. There was no point in letting people get suspicious about an open manhole.

As Rogue descended the last few rungs of the ladder she noticed a light headed her way. She stiffened her muscles as she waited in anticipation for the light to meet her. Within minutes Rogue was shielding her eyes from the flare of a lantern and the man holding it. He was a deathly white color, with the bluest of blue eyes. His entire appearance seemed gaunt and ill. After studying him, Rogue concluded that this was the man she was supposed to meet. This was Caliban.

"Caliban?" she asked. The man gave a small nod. He stared at the teen girl before him and then set the lantern on the ground. Caliban took a seat and waited for the teen to join him. He watched as the mutant known as Rogue eyed the floor with disgust before sitting cross legged in front of him.

Caliban gave a hoarse chuckle. "You are very much like your mother, Rogue."

Rogue froze. "You know who I am? And you knew my mother?"

"Yes. There isn't much I don't know. I live in the sewers, Rogue. Secrets from the topside drift down here more often than not."

"Then you must have a clue why I'm here," replied Rogue edgily. She didn't trust the man sitting before her. Anyone that could discern what she was about to say or do wasn't high on her list of people to trust without question.

"I suppose you are here to ask about your birth parents. I knew them well, your mother especially. She spent some time with us Morlocks before you were born. But who told you to come here, Rogue? Who sent you to question me?"

Rogue cocked her head as she considered what to tell the mutant before her. It seemed he didn't know everything about her just yet. That was good. In the end she decided to lie. There wasn't any reason to let people know her allegiances right away, even if she still wasn't one hundred percent certain about them herself. "I came for my own reasons. I'm curious to know why you're so special. They say you can sense another mutant. Is that how you knew I was here?"

Caliban nodded sagely. He could play along with Rogue if that's what she wanted. He wasn't sure if he really wanted to know who she was working for and why. Too many mutants had been harmed when it came to choosing one side over the other. If Rogue wanted to pretend she was on her own, then so be it.

"Then impress me, Caliban. How many mutants are hiding out in Bayville, how many that no one knows about yet?"

"So that is your game, Rogue? A mercenary for evil?"

Rogue didn't think twice as she grabbed Caliban by the shirt and pulled him close to her. Magneto had said to be persuasive, but she didn't think that would work with Caliban so well, but perhaps fear would. "Don't mess with me, Morlock. I'm not in a good mood today. If I hear you told anyone about my business associations, then you and me will have to get better acquainted, and I'm sure you don't want to be at the mercy of human scientists, do you?" challenged Rogue in a harsh whisper. Caliban gulped and shook his head. Rogue pursed her lips and let the other mutant go.

Caliban got to his feet and watched in fear as Rogue did the same. "You shouldn't have sold your soul to the devil," hissed Caliban wringing his hands together.

Rogue simply shrugged. "What I do with my life is my business. Now," here Rogue eyed Caliban with an evil glare, "let's get something straight, shall we? _You_ work for meh. I expect to be informed the second a new mutant comes to Bayville, understand?"

Caliban eyed Rogue warily, but nodded in agreement. He no longer had a choice in the matter. He had gone too far with the Rogue, and how he was a pawn in a higher and darker game. But it was his choice to do so. He could easily disappear into the sewers and never be heard from again, but he couldn't let this child in front of him go it alone when it came to working for someone as dark as Magneto. She needed protection, and he was the only one who could keep an eye on her for the time being. "I will be in touch then, Rogue."

"Not so fast, Morlock. What do you know about my parents?"

"I…I don't know much. Your mother was here before you were born, and then she left. A year later she returned…but you weren't with her. I knew she had been pregnant. I also knew you'd be relatively normal for the first half of your life. But, your mother didn't believe much of what I had to say. She trusted another mutant with her heart and soul. A mutant by the name of Destiny. Destiny has the ability to see into the future. Your mother wanted to believe you were normal, that you had a chance at a normal life. That's why she gave you up. I told her it was a mistake. But given the choice between a seer and a seeker, who would you trust?" replied Caliban with a sigh.

"Who is she? My mother."

Caliban shook his head, his eyes widening. "Your mother knows where to find me, Rogue. She'd kill me and my people down here if I disclosed her identity to you. Believe me, I want to tell you. But if I did either she or Destiny would come and tear me apart. I am sorry."

Rogue rolled her eyes at the humble pleadings. She wouldn't push him, though she wanted to. "Keep in touch then."

"Of course." Caliban watched in silence as Rogue deftly climbed back up to the surface. He shrank back from the light of day and only picked up his lantern once Rogue had closed the manhole shut again. He gave a deep sigh as he headed back down the sewers. Life had just taken a turn for the worse.

Up on the surface Rogue leaned against the brick wall of the alley way. So her mother held power over Caliban too. _Like mother, like daughter,_ thought Rogue to herself. Now all she had to do was wait for word from Caliban. In the meantime, Rogue was going to dig up a little dirt on the mutant called Destiny. If she could see the future, then maybe she could shed some light on the past. Or at least Rogue's past. And Destiny would do it, even if Rogue had to use her powers to get her way.

**A/N—As of June 2, 2007, Chapter 5: Mercenary has been revised.**


	7. Crush

Disclaimer—Still don't own any of this stuff

**Disclaimer—Still don't own any of this stuff.**

**Chapter 6—Crush**

"Where the hell have you been?" demanded Mystique the second Rogue entered the boarding house. Rogue frowned as she closed the door behind her. In the living room she could see Lance, Pietro, and Toad sitting on the couch. From the looks of things, and by the tone of Mystique's voice, Rogue was in major trouble.

Mystique didn't wait for an answer as she continued her tirade. "Jesus, Rogue! Ditching school is one thing, but not letting me know where you are is another! How am I supposed to protect you when you vanish into thin air? _Where were you?_"

Rogue smirked. "Here and there. I gave myself a tour of Bayville. It isn't all that it's cracked up to be, let me tell you. The place makes my hometown look like something you'd read about in the storybooks…Bayville's more like the poster child for towns gone wrong."

"Dammit, Rogue! Don't go anywhere without telling me! The least you could have done was bring someone with you! I can't protect you if you're gallivanting about without a care in the world!"

"I'm not consorting with the X-Freaks, if that's what you're afraid of. Who the hell told you to be my mother, huh?" Rogue raised an eyebrow in relief as Mystique shut her mouth.

The shape shifter continued to glare at Rogue before turning to ascend the staircase. With an unreadable expression on her face she said, "Don't do anything stupid, Rogue. You're under my care now."

Rogue kept her own mouth shut until she heard Mystique shut the door to her room. Something told the teen that she had been let off fairly easy this time around. Making a mental note to herself to try and stay on the safe side of Mystique from that point forward Rogue turned to her housemates. "What'd she do to y'all?"

Lance shrugged. "Threatened us like usual. I don't think she understood we really had no fucking clue where you went."

"Yeah, Roguey. Where were you? I don't want a repeat of Mystique threatening to barbecue me alive next time you run off," growled Pietro in disgust.

"Yo, leave Rogue alone," reprimanded Toad bouncing off the couch and in front of Rogue. "She doesn't have to tell us where she is all the time. That's her business."

"Thanks, Toad," said Rogue with a smile. "But I _was_ telling the truth. I went around town to see what it was like. One word boys, boring."

"If you had wanted a tour, Rogue, you could have just asked. I would have been more than happy to show you around," offered Lance, his face softening as he studied the southerner carefully.

Pietro snorted. "Please, all you want to show her is the view of Bayville from the back of your jeep."

Lance shot Pietro a dark look, as Rogue blinked in surprise. Pietro quickly sped off to his room shutting the door with a bang. Lance breezed past Rogue muttering to himself as he went after the speed demon. Rogue bit her lip in fear as she considered what Pietro had said. Nothing good could come from it.

Toad glanced at Rogue and patted her gloved hand consolingly. "Don't worry, Roguey. Lance isn't like that. Well, he is, but I think you're different. He really likes you; he wouldn't do anything stupid to mess things up between you guys."

"That's what I'm afraid of." Rogue sighed and headed towards her room. She had some serious thinking to do. Toad's voice stopped her as she reached the stairs. Above them they could hear Lance pounding on Pietro's door.

"What are you afraid of?" asked Toad quietly.

Rogue looked at Toad with a small smile. "Hurting him. I can't get close to anyone without someone getting hurt, and I don't mean simple heartbreak. Toad, my powers aren't the good kind you can just forget about…I can never get close to anyone. There are things y'all don't know about me…my past isn't clean, and god only knows what my future will be like."

"None of our pasts are clean, Roguey. That's why we're here. We can't trust anyone but Mystique either, and she might suck as a surrogate mom, but she's the only one who cares enough to give us a chance. Just because something bad happened in your past doesn't mean you're going to be a screw-up, otherwise I would have given up hope a long time ago."

"I know," murmured Rogue softly, "but it's just hard for me to let go right now. And having a relationship, however serious or non-serious it can be…it's just not possible. Trust me on this one, okay?"

Toad nodded. "You do know that Lance won't give up so easily, right?"

Rogue narrowed her eyes. She may have only known him for a day, but it seemed that already she knew Lance all too well. He had a spirit within him full of fire and pure will. She could easily see why he was the one the boys followed at the boarding house, and Rogue also knew that she needed to put a stop to his minor crush now before it got out of hand. "Not if I have anything to say about it."

Toad gulped as Rogue marched up the stairs. He had seen the determined look on her face. The girl was obviously on a mission, and he was extremely lucky that he wouldn't be on the receiving end of it.

Lance jumped in surprise when he felt a gloved hand grab the back of his neck. He barely comprehended the fact that his would be attacker was Rogue before he found himself pushed into her bedroom. Lance winced as Rogue shut her door. She didn't look very pleased. She looked pissed as hell and…scared?

"We need to get some things straight, Lance," said Rogue coldly.

"Like what? I can't kill Pietro? The world would be a better place without that prick," replied Lance smoothly.

"Pietro isn't a part of this. I'm talking about us, Rocky."

"Us?" Lance felt himself grin. "I didn't know there was an us, Roguey."

"Don't think I haven't heard the rumors going around the school. I've just ignored them because it saved me a shitload of trouble with certain classmates asking too many questions. I don't mind kids calling me your girl, Lance. What I _do_ mind is _you_ thinking I'm your girl. Get this through your head—_there is no us!_" Rogue cocked her head to one side and crossed her arms in preparation for Lance's protests. She wasn't disappointed.

"No us? What the fuck, Rogue? You've got to admit there's something between us. I've never met a girl like you before. Ever," argued Lance also crossing his arms.

Rogue rolled her eyes. "Lance, I'm not a typical girl, and I'm not saying that because I'm a mutant. That's only part of it. Before I came here I had a plan, and now that plan's on the backburner while I figure a few things out—I can't get close to you or anyone else. I'll only hurt you in the end…and I can't go through it again with another person. I don't want to be the one to cause pain, Lance."

"What would happen, Rogue? Would you shock me if I tried to kiss you?" Lance chuckled at his own joke. He was trying to keep the mood light despite the strained look on Rogue's face and the serious tone of her voice. Her refusal to accept what he assumed to be the inevitable only made him that much more attracted to her.

"Something like that." Rogue's voice became soft as she leaned back against her door wearily.

Lance sighed in frustration and ran a hand through his hair. Then he spoke up. "Rogue, you've got to trust me, I'm not going to use you or…hurt you. You're the first girl I've met that I've actually tried to be friends with first. If you don't want to be more than friends I won't push it, but…you can't deny there's chemistry between us. We have something."

Rogue dropped her gaze to the floor, chewing on her lower lip as she allowed the words to sink in. She had intended to stay firm and not give in, but his words were proving too much for her teenage heart. Here she was in an entirely new place with people she hardly knew, and here was one guy promising to take care of her without question. "I've never been any good at chemistry, Rocky."

Lance smiled. "I can teach you."

"I don't know, Lance. I'm not sure figuring this out between us, whatever it is, would be good. I know for a fact that ruining a good thing—and us being able to talk like we've always known each other forever is a really good thing—it would just be awkward. I don't like awkward, Lance. I want to be normal."

"Rogue, we're mutants. We're never going to be normal. It doesn't work that way. I hate school, but if there's one thing I've learned while being there it's that normal is overrated. You don't want to be another mindless drone like the humans. What we are kicks ass, and that's putting it simply. You want to be a normal girl? Then give me a chance. Don't let your powers take everything away from you—you'll only be giving in to what the humans want you to believe—that you're a freak. And trust me, babe, standing where I am, you aren't a freak."

Rogue could feel a small smile forming on her lips at the words flowing from Lance's mouth. He made things sound so easy, and while she knew it would be in their best interests to say no, she couldn't help but murmur, "Maybe." Her resolve was dissolving as quickly as it had been formed. Lance was right in part. Falling in love was normal. Having crushes was normal. She couldn't give in to her fears forever, could she? If she did that what point would there be in living?

Pursing her lips Rogue glanced up at Lance, making sure to lock eyes with him. "Just so you know I'm never going to be the touchy-feely type. There won't be any kissing or whatever else your perverted mind can think up. I'm never going to be the ideal girlfriend, Lance."

"Whoever said anything about you being my girlfriend?"

Rogue frowned in genuine confusion. She had been sure she had been reading the signs right from the very beginning, and people had already confirmed most of it at school, and yet here was Lance telling her she was wrong. It was odd since Rogue had been comparing this to Cody, and this had been about the same way he had acted before things had gotten serious between them. "But I thought…that is, Toad said…huh?"

Lance chuckled and gave Rogue a wink. "I'm going to do this the right way, Rogue. You can't call yourself my girl without going on a date with me. That's not how it works."

Rogue was speechless as Lance tried to open her door, nudging her ever so slightly to let him out. She felt a smile form on her lips as he closed the door behind him. Just as Rogue was about to plop herself down in bed to squeal into her pillow the door flew open again. Rogue turned to see Lance giving her a puppy eyed look.

"You want see a movie with me tomorrow? I promise I won't take you to make-out point."

Her lips curled into a smile as she contemplated the offer as corny as it was. "I'd love to."

"Great. We'll go after school, alright?"

"Alright." Rogue waited until Lance had closed the door again before throwing herself down on her bed in a surreal stupor.

Things weren't looking so bad after all.

**A/N: As of June 16, 2007 Chapter 6 has been revised.**


	8. Deception

Disclaimer—Don't own anything here

**Disclaimer—Don't own anything here.**

**Chapter 7—Deception**

Rogue awoke to a buzzing by her ear. She groaned as she slowly opened her eyes. The room was dark which caused her to groan. Moving a hand around on her nightstand the teen searched for the beeper, finally finding it to press a button so that a number lit up across the small screen.

"You've got to be kidding me," she muttered to herself. It seemed the mighty Magneto had another job for her. Rogue pushed herself out of bed and turned on the light on her nightstand. She quickly found some clothes to wear and pulled her into a ponytail. There was no reason to put up a decent appearance at this time in the morning. Rogue pulled on her gloves and opened her bedroom window.

"I should kill Mystique for getting a place with upstairs bedrooms. She makes it that much harder for me to sneak out." Rogue cursed herself once more for her bad luck before crawling out onto the roof. She carefully walked to the edge and peered down at the ground below. Looking around she found a drainpipe for her to climb down.

Within minutes she was finally on the ground and on her way towards town. Rogue soon came across a pay phone. She pulled out some loose change and her beeper, punching in the new number.

"Ah, Rogue! Did I wake you?" asked Magneto calmly.

Rogue gritted her teeth. "No, Mags—not at all. What do you want? Coffee?"

"No. I need you to befriend a mutant for me."

"But Caliban hasn't named any new mutants in town yet. I barely talked to him yesterday!"

Magneto gave an exasperated sigh over the phone. "I _am_ aware of that, Rogue, yes. For now I want you to befriend one of the X-Men. I will have use of a resource within Charles' walls."

"You want me to get to know one of the X-Geeks? You're crazy, Mags! They tried to kill me!" argued Rogue raising her voice. She hadn't signed up for a suicide mission like this one. She wanted nothing to do with the X-Men. As far as she was concerned they were nothing more than trouble, and trouble like that didn't bode well for Rogue's future. She was sure of it.

"I'm not talking about your perpetrators, my dear. I am talking about one of the lesser known X-Men—one of the younger recruits."

Rogue was silent. There was a slight possibility she could handle that…but did she really want to? With a sigh she agreed. "Alright. Who is this new 'friend' of mine?"

"His name is Bobby Drake—he goes by the codename Iceman. I've heard tell of his admiration for you. Use it to your advantage. I have also heard tell of some sort of involvement you have with your housemate, Lance Alvers."

"Are you spying on me, Mags? I don't exactly like that idea. It makes it sound like you don't trust me, and I just got added to your payroll. _Do_ you trust me?" demanded Rogue harshly.

Magneto merely chuckled. "Rogue, I have the utmost confidence in your loyalty to me…I simply like to keep well informed when it comes to my mercenaries. I need to be assured you're in good spirits. All I ask from you is that you don't let this…_thing_…with Lance Alvers cloud your judgment while under my directions."

"Don't worry, Mags, I won't do anything to screw up whatever plans you're cooking up. My personal life won't be a problem…but why call on me so damn early?"

"Because the Popsicle is playing a _very_ late night hooky with some of the local boys. I believe he somehow managed to get admitted to a club—The Night Owl—and alcohol is served all night long. Someone should make sure he gets home, don't you agree, Rogue?"

The name had sounded familiar, forcing the brunette to go over a mental list of names and faces from school. She groaned aloud as she realized who Magneto meant. "That annoying guy from French class? Man, Mags, you really know how to pick them, don't you? Fine, I'll make sure the kid makes it home safe and sound, but I won't like it...and I can't say that he'll make it to his place in one piece…but I'll try my best."

"Good. That's all I ask. Happy hunting, Rogue." And with that Magneto hung up the phone.

"Yeah, right." Rogue glared at the phone before slamming it back down on the receiver. She glanced around the empty streets until she spotted a twenty-four hour convenience store. There was only one way she figured could make her calm down. She quickly headed towards the store and gave a winsome smile to the geeky clerk behind the counter.

"Hey, sugar, how much for a pack of cigarettes?" asked Rogue sweetly. The geek pushed up his glasses on his nose as he stared in open mouthed wonder at the brunette before him. It wasn't everyday that a girl like that appeared on his shift.

"About five bucks. You old enough?" he managed to squeak out.

Rogue raised an eyebrow as she pulled a twenty out of her pocket. "Do I _look_ old enough for you, sugar?"

The geek gulped and quickly grabbed a pack of cigarettes from behind the counter. He slid it across to Rogue as handed him the twenty.

"I'll need a lighter too," she added, batting her lashes. The geek nodded and passed her a lighter, and then turned to ring up her order.

"Keep the change!" she called out as she walked out the door again. There was no use in sitting around making the poor guy suffer. It was uncomfortable enough as it was using her feminine wiles to try and get something she probably didn't need. Another bad habit didn't exactly make for a future bright with possibilities, but at this point Rogue really didn't give a damn what she did to herself anymore. It couldn't be any worse than walking around like the Black Plague.

Outside, Rogue pulled a cigarette out of the pack and popped it into her mouth. She lit it up with her new lighter and took her first puff of smoke ever. She quickly sputtered at the taste in her mouth. "Must be some kind of acquired taste," she muttered to herself as she took another puff. Then she gave a sour laugh. If only her adopted parents could see her now. The once level headed girl with a bright future now working for an evil man for an unknown future. What a life.

Rogue shook off her heavy minded thoughts as she trudged down the street. She studied each building in search of _The Night Owl._ Then she saw it. The club was hard to miss. Music was pumping out of the open doors and windows—the lights as bright as the sun. Apparently _The Night Owl_ couldn't tell time. Rogue glanced down at her watch and narrowed her eyes. It was barely three a.m.

"The Popsicle better show his face soon if he knows what's good for him," she murmured as she blew out more smoke from her cigarette. Shaking her head she positioned herself across the street in the shadows. That way she wouldn't miss the blonde haired boy no matter which way he came out.

**Inside The Night Owl**

Bobby blinked hard as he tried to concentrate on the vivacious red head sitting next to him. She was chattering away about life as a waitress while he tried to keep the room from spinning. But it simply wasn't working. Bobby was seeing double and finally beginning to feel his stomach churn with all the alcohol he had consumed that evening.

Bobby quickly made up an excuse to tear him away from the waitress before stumbling out the front entrance of the club. Once he felt the fresh air he instantly dropped to his knees and vomited into the bushes.

He rocked back onto his heels and closed his eyes in semi-relief. Tomorrow was going to be pure hell if he ever managed to get back into the mansion without causing a ruckus…or waking Logan with his stench. Bobby shuddered at the thought.

"Feeling better, Popsicle?" asked a quiet voice from behind him. Bobby opened his eyes and turned around slowly to see Rogue looking down at him.

"Y…y…yeah," stammered Bobby staggering to his feet.

"Maybe you shouldn't have drunk so much beer, huh?"

Bobby simply nodded. He couldn't tell whether or not he was dreaming—or if Rogue was really there with him. Then he saw her cigarette as she raised it to her mouth. If this was a dream, then his senses very extremely good—he could smell the smoke.

"You shouldn't smoke," said Bobby. "It's bad for your health."

"So is drinking, so I guess we're even," countered Rogue. "Come on, Popsicle, we better get you home before the geeks send out a search party. I'm pretty sure it's past your bedtime."

"How do you know I'm with them?" called out Bobby as Rogue swept right past him.

Rogue continued walking. "I have m ways, Bobby. Never underestimate me."

Bobby slowly forced himself to follow the southern mutant in the direction of Xavier's mansion. Rogue certainly was full of surprises.

"So does this mean you're coming back with me?" he asked gingerly. He still wasn't sure what to make of this. If it were a dream he was pretty sure she wouldn't sound so pissed at him…or annoyed…and if she were joining the X-Men, shouldn't she be asking him to introduce her to the Professor and others? Her words quickly dispelled any illusions he had.

"Not on your life. I'm not choosing sides."

"We aren't asking you to choose sides, Rogue."

"Sure. That's not how it went down with Jeanie in the Big Easy. That's why I'm staying with the Brotherhood. They haven't asked me to choose a side yet. They're just giving me a home."

"And a boyfriend," muttered Bobby darkly.

"Lance and I aren't officially anything yet, got it?"

"That's not what the school is saying."

Rogue rolled her eyes. What was the big deal about Lance? "Screw the school. I don't give a shit what they say about me, and neither should you."

"But _are_ you going to get together with Lance?"

Rogue gave a sideways glance to the blonde walking beside her and smirked. "That depends on Lance. If things work out, then yeah, I might make the whole thing official…if not, then whatever. I still have other house mates to consider," she teased.

"I don't think I like the sounds of that." Bobby groaned and clutched his sensitive stomach.

Rogue sighed. She could already tell where this was headed, and she had half a mind to put a stop to it. Unfortunately Magneto's orders went through her head. Either way Rogue was screwed.

"Rogue, if things don't work out with Lance…I'll be here for you. I mean as a friend. I really like you, but I won't push my luck. Basically, I just want you to know that you can talk to me whenever you need to." Bobby finished in a rush and refrained from looking over at Rogue.

"Bobby…" Rogue paused and then sighed. "There's a lot you and Lance don't know about me. I'm not girlfriend material—I'm not even friend material. But…thanks. I'll keep your offer about talking some time in mind. It means a lot to me, that you're sincere. That's kind of rare in a guy."

"Really? Thanks." Bobby smiled shyly and the two lapsed into a comfortable silence. Things changed when the reached the front gates. There leaning outside of them was Scott…and he was angry.

"Jesus, Bobby! I was getting ready to wake Logan!" hissed Scott. Then he wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Man, you stink."

"Sorry, Scott, I kind of lost track of time." Bobby hung his head in defeat, waiting for Scott's lecture. But it never came.

Scott had caught sight of Rogue, and had been rendered speechless. Here was the most sought after mutant walking with Bobby Drake of all people in the middle of the morning. And despite her careless appearance, she was still pretty breathtaking. Scott cleared his throat and tried to regain his thoughts.

"This is where I leave, Bobby. I'll see you at school." Rogue gave a small wave and turned to head back home. She took a deep breath at seeing Scott again. Her heart had begun to beat abnormally in his presence, and she hated that feeling. It was the same feeling she had gotten with Cody in Mississippi, and look where she was now.

"Bobby, get inside before Logan sniffs you out. Rogue, wait." Scott jogged after Rogue until they were face to face.

"What?" she asked pulling out another cigarette.

"Thanks for walking Bobby home. That was…that was really nice of you," finished Scott lamely.

Rogue forced herself to give a cold laugh, if only to keep up a distant appearance. The words had caught her off guard and she didn't need Scott of all people to see her vulnerable side. "Isn't that sweet, Scotty? You're thanking me for walking one of your geeks home. It was nothing; the kid would've gotten mugged before he reached the sidewalk if I wasn't there."

"You're that intimidating?"

"No, but Lance is."

Scott nodded at Rogue's tone of voice. "Is he good to you?"

Rogue shrugged. "What's good? Flowers and candy? He's just someone I can trust to protect me. That's all I need."

"Any of us here could protect you, Rogue." Scott gestured back at the mansion. Then he softened his voice. "I would."

"I don't need a knight in shining armor. I just need a fear factor. Someone who scares people by looking at them. You know about mah powers…they're dangerous, Scott. How's that fuzzy friend of yours?"

"He's alright. So you're with Lance just for a shield from humans?" Scott narrowed his eyes as Rogue blew out some smoke.

"No. Yes. Lance is a decent guy. I like him. He didn't introduce himself by telling me about the cause he works for. He didn't ask me to join his ranks. I haven't told Lance about mah curse yet and frankly, I don't want to. He's better off not knowing—he's safer that way."

"Lance is one step away from working for Magneto directly, Rogue. Do you know who he is? He's the bad guy. He puts the E in evil! Magneto won't rest until all humankind has been destroyed. He's planning some kind of mutant world. He's consumed by ideals that he loathes! How can you feel safe with someone like Lance, who's working for someone like Magento?"

"How can I feel safe with someone like an X-Man, who believes in a dream? Someone who isn't realistic about the real world? You live in a fantasy world, Scott! You're no better than Lance!" shot back Rogue in a dangerous tone. Scott fell silent.

"Mystique will deceive you, Rogue. You can't trust her. I don't like the idea of you entrusting your life in her hands."

"I know that," whispered Rogue close to tears. It was the same argument she had been giving herself over Magneto since taking up his offer. Everything that had started out by making sense was making absolutely no sense at all…and Scott was voicing it all as though he were her conscience struggling to shake her by the arms.

Scott whispered back intensely. "Then why are you there?"

"Because I feel welcome. I feel safe. For the first time in my life I feel like I don't have to run anymore. Mystique is twisted in her own way—but so are you!"

Rogue turned her back on Scott, leaving him speechless. She quickly walked back towards the boarding house, her mind awhirl. Lance was loyal. Bobby was sincere. Scott was honest.

Sometimes being a mutant had its advantages. Otherwise making up her mind on which guy she should crush on would be ten times harder.

**A/N—As of June 26, 2007 this chapter has been revised.**


	9. Trust

Disclaimer—I own zilch, just so you know

**Disclaimer—I own zilch, just so you know.**

**Chapter 8—Trust**

Lance was pissed, and that was putting it nicely. All day long he had heard rumors about Rogue; apparently she had been seen walking some guy home to the Xavier mansion at around three in the morning from the new nightclub. But that wasn't what had Lance so angry. He was fuming over the fact that Rogue had been seen conversing with Scott Summers…and the whole thing had looked pretty steamy from passer-bys, drunk ones yes, but that wasn't important.

The funny thing was that Lance believed the rumors. Why? Because Rogue had been dead tired that morning before school, and she had barely said two words to him all day. Her mind was obviously elsewhere, and Lance knew she wasn't thinking about their date later in the day. No, she had to be thinking about the X-Freak.

Lance's first date with Rogue was already ruined.

The teen narrowed his eyes as he caught sight of Rogue at her locker. He had never been one to take the low road and wait for things to happen. He had always been the assertive type, and this time around he wasn't going to be any different. He marched over to Rogue's locker and slammed the yellow door shut. Rogue didn't even flinch; she simply tightened her lips in anger.

"What the hell is your problem?" she asked darkly.

"What the hell is yours, Rogue? Did you think I wouldn't find out about your three a.m. romp with Summers?" shot back Lance.

Rogue looked up at Lance and glared. "I thought all that was settled, Lance. We aren't a couple! You can't tell me who A can and can't be friends with!"

"You do know who Summers is, don't you? He's one of _them_," hissed Lance leaning closer to Rogue.

The southern girl took a step back at the invasion of her personal space. "You're not my keeper!" she insisted.

"Dammit, Rogue! Don't screw around with me! You can't date two guys at once!"

"I wasn't planning on dating Scott. I was barely planning on dating you!"

Lance opened his mouth to say something, but closed it with a mixture of anger. He had a feeling that admission, while nice to hear, hadn't been meant as a compliment. "Screw you!"

"Is that how it's going to be?" demanded Rogue. Lance furrowed his eyebrows. She continued with an intense tone of voice. "Lance, I like you, I really do…but, you need to trust me. There can never be an us if you don't trust me, understand? Just because I'm…different doesn't mean I'm going to throw out all the morals I was taught!"

"Roguey, I—"

"No, Lance, listen to me. I promised myself I would only date a guy who truly cared for me, someone who would trust me to be loyal to our relationship; someone who would do anything for me—like cross the world for a single kiss; or even someone who would forsake his family to be with me, kind of like a prince giving up his title.

"I guess my expectations are a little high, but truthfully, I don't think you could be that guy, Lance. You don't seem to me…and if you can't trust me then I don't want to give you the time of day. I'm sorry."

Lance was left speechless as a teary eyed Rogue brushed past him. A crowd had gathered around the feuding pair—and at the very edge of it, Lance could see Scott staring after Rogue.

Bobby was torn. Part of him wanted to run after Rogue and make sure she was alright, but the other part of him wanted to stay hidden in the group with his friends so as to stay out of Lance's way. He knew the rumors circulating around the school were revolving around Scott and Rogue…but he wasn't stupid enough to think Lance wouldn't pound the first guy to make a move on the new girl.

"Man, you're screwed," whistled Kurt shaking his head. Kitty instantly latched onto Kurt's arm to join the conversation.

"No kidding! Wait until Lance finds out if was _you_ who broke him and Rogue up!"

Evan smirked. "You might even have a chance with her now, Bobby. I think Lance is set on killing Scott rather than you."

Bobby looked to where Evan was pointing in time to see Lance's fist connect with Scott's jaw. Scott hit the ground hard, but was instantly on his feet and lunging right back at Lance.

Oh boy. Bobby _was_ screwed if Lance discovered the truth.

**Later That Day**

Mystique paced back and forth in her office as principal. Hours earlier she had broken up a fight between Lance Alvers and Scott Summers. Both boys had been suspended for a day.

All for Rogue.

"Damn that girl! Where the hell did she go?" exclaimed Mystique plopping down in her seat.

"Why do I trust you to protect my charges? Maybe I should find a replacement for you," came a voice from the shadows of her office. Mystique narrowed her eyes as Magneto came into view. He had no right to threaten her loyalty to him.

"I can handle Rogue…unfortunately the girl seems to have a mind of her own. Not all of _my _charges can be as susceptible as _your_ son!"

"Don't push me, Mystique. You know damn well how important Rogue is to my plans! The machine is almost complete—I _need_ Rogue in order to succeed."

Mystique gave a small sigh as her features softened. "I know, Eric. I'm sorry. She's just so…so headstrong."

"Don't grow attached to her, Mystique. She is a pawn in my hand…she is only useful for so long, you understand? Don't use her as a replacement for that child you lost! Attachments are equal to failure. Do not forget that."

Mystique nodded. "I'll find her, Eric. She's simply upset with Lance at the moment. She's still a teenage girl. I'll go and take her shopping or something to help her bond with me to cement the deal."

"Teach her to fight."

"Excuse me?"

"Teach her martial arts, Mystique. Until the machine is ready she may do a complete turn around and join the Brotherhood. She must learn how to defeat the X-Men in some form or another until she decides to use her powers," explained Magneto calmly. Mystique was silent. Seconds later her boss was gone. Now all she had to do was find Rogue.

Mystique pulled on her coat and grabbed her keys. She walked out of her office and towards the parking lot. She stopped short when she saw Lance standing beside her car.

"What do you want?" she snapped.

"Rogue slashed my tires. I was going to go after her, but I can't get anywhere without a set of wheels," answered Lance pulling a cigarette out of his vest pocket. Mystique slapped his hand, causing the cigarette to drop to the ground. Lance looked up in anger.

Mystique quickly jabbed a finger in his face. "You screwed up, Lance. I told you to take care of Rogue, and what did you do? You stomped all over her heart!"

"Don't you think I already know that? I fucked up big time, Mystique! Bigger than I've ever fucked up before. That's why I need to find her…I have to make it up to her, start over…" Lance dropped his arms to his side in resignation. He knew that Rogue wouldn't be in the mood to listen any time soon, but he had to try to prove he cared about her.

"Not this time, Lance. This time you stay behind and I'll take care of Rogue. It's high time that girl was trained to protect herself. She needs to be on _our_ side, Lance. But if you chase her into the arms of an X-Man, I swear to God I will kill you. Leave her alone. If she really likes you then she'll go back to you. Until then don't push it. Let her fall in love on her own time." Mystique locked eyes with her charge and waited for him to back down. He did.

"Fine. I'll leave her alone…for now, but the first chance I get I'm winning her back," spat out Lance spitting close to Mystique's shoes.

"I wouldn't expect any less from you." With that Mystique opened her car door and slammed it in Lance's face. She pulled out of the parking lot and watched the angry teen kick at Scott Summers' car through the rear view mirror.

**The Park:**

Rogue sniffed as she swung listlessly on the swing. She hurt twice as much as she had after putting Cody in a coma. She hadn't wanted to break things off with Lance, especially since they had barely come to an understanding over their relationship, but she had felt that she had had no choice. As loyal as Lance was, it all came down to one thing:

Lance didn't trust her.

Hell, Rogue didn't trust herself half the time now that she worked for Magneto, but she desperately wanted to believe that others could trust her. Others like Lance. Or Scott.

Rogue bit her lip as she thought about the X-Man known as Cyclops. He trusted her to a degree, she knew that. He believed she would one day make the "right" choice and join the X-Men…but Scott was in for a disappointment if he thought her life was that easy.

"Boys are so stupid," she muttered to herself wiping more tears away.

"I could have told you that," came a quiet voice. Rogue glanced up and gave a tiny smile as Mystique sat in the swing next to her.

"You've had bad luck too?"

Mystique sighed. "Men have never stuck by my side; it's one of their failings. As soon as the going gets rough, they check out of the relationship. The last guy in my life left after I got pregnant."

Rogue frowned. "You have a kid?"

"Once upon a time, Rogue. I had a son. I had to give him up to a family with a stable home. I was always on the road hiding who I was. I haven't been in touch with him for years now. I used to send cards and gifts…but he's just a reminder of how my life has gone downhill."

"I'm sorry."

Mystique simply shook her head, trying to hide her silent tears. "I didn't come here to discuss my love life with you…are you okay? I had to forcibly break up the fight between Lance and Scott. You put on quite a show back there today."

Rogue chuckled. "That's Lance for you. Hot headed…he doesn't like to think things through. He doesn't trust me, Mystique. He made it seem like I was cheating on him, but we haven't even been on a single date yet. I wouldn't do anything like that—not to Lance."

"He _is_ called the Avalanche for a reason. He's a walking natural disaster. What about this rumor with Scott?" Mystique eyed Rogue out of the corner of her eye warily.

Rogue frowned. "He argued with me. All I did was go on a cigarette run this morning and I came across that Bobby Drake fellow stumbling around drunk. I couldn't leave him to the muggers and other drunks. I was nice, I walked him to that damn mansion, and then Scott comes out and yells at me for being with y'all."

"Did he try to hurt you?" Mystique sat up straight and looked to her charge for the word to kick Scott Summer's ass. She herself had gone through her fair share of abusive relationships and as a result she had no tolerance to anything even remotely close to abuse.

"Please, that guy wouldn't touch me, he saw my powers first hand…I'm pretty sure I scared the X-Men I saw in Louisiana for good. They won't try anything, unless Lance lets them."

Mystique stood up and motioned for Rogue to do the same. "Come on, get up and I'll teach you some defense tactics. You need to be prepared in case you're alone and attacked. God knows how many more middle of the night walks you'll go on from now on to be away from the boys in the boarding house."

"Defense?"

"And some attack moves. I refuse to lose my foster daughter to some lame ass, half drunk rapist because she doesn't know how to fight. Come on, you remember some of the moves I taught you on the way back from New Orleans, don't you?"

"Yeah."

"Alright then, attack me." Mystique positioned herself in a defensive stance as Rogue looked at her with caution. Then without warning Rogue launched herself at her mentor. At first it looked as though Rogue was going to punch Mystique in the stomach, so the shape shifter moved to protect her upper body, but in a flash Rogue dropped to her knees and kicked Mystique's legs out from under her.

Mystique gazed up at Rogue's innocent face in surprise as she lay in the sand on her back. That move had been completely unexpected. Then Mystique broke into a grin. "Perfect! Let's try some new moves, alright?"

"Sure, just don't expect me to help you up each time I knock you down," teased Rogue perking up. This was exactly what she needed…a way to vent rather than cry herself silly.

From within the woods Scott watched in wonder as Rogue and Mystique parried with each other. Rogue was a quick learner. She had knocked the blue shape shifter to the ground more than once, and didn't show any signs of letting up on the older mutant. What amazed Scott the most was the bond between the two mutants. Rogue trusted Mystique like a mother-type figure, and Mystique treated Rogue as though she were her own. It was strange, how natural the scene was. And he knew then and there that it would take a major betrayal for Rogue to leave the Brotherhood for the X-Men.

Time passed quickly as Scott studied the mock-battle. Soon the park lights were lighting up and the sky began to turn a pink color. Scott was about to turn away when he saw Mystique and Rogue part. Mystique returned to her car and drove away as Rogue walked along the park path. Scott hesitated a moment before leaving his spot to join the southern teen.

"Hey," he said softly the second Rogue caught sight of him. She simply bit her lip indicating she wouldn't be speaking immediately.

Scott continued. "I'm sorry about what happened between you and Lance today."

"It would have happened sooner or later." Rogue shrugged off the apology and turned to walk away. Scott quickly grabbed Rogue's shoulder and turned her back to face him. Rogue looked at him with a mixture of apprehension and fear.

"I…" Scott let go of Rogue as he tried to organize his thoughts.

Rogue rolled her eyes. "Let me guess, you're not used to apologizing are you?"

"No. I've never really hurt anyone like this before. Truthfully, I've never been the cause of a breakup before."

"Look, Scott, Lance and I weren't together yet. All you did was ruin the first date, Lance did the rest by himself."

Scott frowned. "So you are blaming me for part of it, huh?"

"Well I can't blame Bobby, he was drunk, and I don't want Lance to try and kill the kid. I heard your fight was a real doozy."

"Yeah, it was." Scott fingered his bruised cheek tenderly as Rogue watched. Then with a timid air she lifted her gloved hand up towards his bruise. Scott was silent and watched through his ruby lenses as Rogue's hand neared his face. He gave a shy smile as he felt Rogue's fingers brush against his cheek and bruise.

"I'm sorry you got this. It was my fault, I should have fought with Lance at the house—that way he wouldn't have attacked you," murmured Rogue quietly.

Scott reached up and grabbed her gloved hand in his. "Don't apologize; I think you were worth the bruise."

Rogue dropped her eyes as she felt butterflies in her stomach. This wasn't supposed to be happening. Not with Scott. Not with anyone for that matter.

"Hey, I'll give you a ride back to your place," said Scott. He prayed she wouldn't turn him down. Rogue gave a small nod in agreement and allowed Scott to lead her to his car. The entire walk they were both very much aware of the fact that Scott wouldn't let go of her hand.

From the shadows a large and imposing figure watched the two teens walk through the park hand in hand. This was exactly what the master had ordered.

**A/N—As of July 18, 2007 this chapter has been revised.**


	10. Duty Calls

**Disclaimer: Still pretty poor over here. I own nada.**

**Chapter 9—Duty Calls**

Rogue slammed the door shut as she entered the boarding house. She snorted to herself as she caught Lance's glare. He had seen Scott pull up from the living room window.

"You sure move on fast, Rogue," he acknowledged coldly.

"You learn slowly, Alvers."

"Yo, Roguey! I need some help with my next poetry assignment," called out Toad hopping into the living room. He looked up at the brunette southerner pleadingly. Rogue looked at Lance as she answered.

"Sure thing, sugar, I wouldn't want to disappoint someone I can _trust_."

Lance scowled as Rogue followed Toad into the kitchen. "That was real low, Rogue! Even for you! Damn bitch," he muttered to himself. He turned to look back out the window and sighed. It seemed like hell had finally frozen over for him.

**The Next Day**

Scott scuffed his shoe on the gravel as he leaned up against his car waiting. He wanted to be sure that Rogue was alright getting a ride from Lance. The other X-Men had eyed him like he was crazy, except Jean. She had given him a bright smile in understanding over the whole Rogue thing.

"Then again, maybe I am crazy," murmured Scott as Lance pulled up beside his vehicle. Rogue jumped out of the jeep angrily and barely gave Scott a second look as she brushed past him.

"Hey, Rogue, is everything alright?" asked Scott hurrying to catch up with her.

"Of course it is. Everything is just peachy," grumbled the brunette darkly. Scott lapsed into silence as he followed her to her locker. He was quiet as Rogue threw books in it and took some others out for class. Then she closed it shut. She looked at Scott and then down at the ground.

"You're not doing this to get me on your side, are you?" she asked quietly.

"No." Scott reached out and grabbed one of her gloved hands in his. "I wish you were on my side, but only so I could make sure Lance doesn't make any moves on you."

Rogue gave a small smile as Scott tugged her into following him down the hall. "I'll walk you to class," he said.

Jean watched quietly as Scott walked hand in hand with Rogue past her. She smiled as her mind picked up the happiness welling up inside of her friend. She frowned though when she couldn't get a reading off of Rogue. It seemed as though the southerner had barriers inside her mind.

Kitty and Kurt stood arm in arm as Scott and Rogue passed them. "That's not a sight you see everyday," said Kitty with a giggle.

"No kidding, I thought Scott would be too uptight for the Rogue," agreed Kurt as he allowed Kitty to pull him down the hallway. Behind them Bobby could be heard muttering to himself.

"I don't get her at all. What is it with dating unofficial leaders of groups? Lance is a hard ass screw up, and Scott's whole world revolves around following the rules!"

Evan snickered as he patted his friend on the back. "Dude, you know she's like the Ice Queen. She has morals. Scott's the better pick if you ask me. Lance and them don't know what morals are."

"Please," said Pietro breezily as he blocked the group of X-Men from entering their homeroom. "We have a better sense of morals than you think. Though, if I were you, Popsicle, I wouldn't breathe another word about Roguey within one hundred feet of Lance. He's ready to cream Summers alive, and I'd hate to miss it because Lance wanted to kill you first. You're just no fun."

"Fuck off, Maximoff," ordered Evan standing eye to eye with his archenemy.

"Ooh, I'm so scared. I'm shaking here, Daniels." With that the white haired speedster turned his back and walked into the classroom.

"I really hate that guy," muttered Evan to himself as he took a seat behind Kitty and Kurt. The small group of friends was quiet as Scott entered the class just as the bell rang. He took a seat next to Bobby, who could only shake his head at the fearless leader.

Meanwhile, Rogue was thoughtful as her homeroom teacher read the usual announcements. Scott seemed to genuinely like her. He had walked her to class, which was in the complete opposite direction of his own…and he was no longer pressuring her to leave the Brotherhood. Now he seemed more concerned over her safety with Lance now that Scott had "broken" her and Lance up.

Next to Rogue Lance was trying his best to ignore her. He leaned back in his seat and looked out the window with a deep frown. He was thinking up new ways to get even with Summers for stealing his girl…and each one included burying the X-Man under a pile of rocks.

In the front Jean paid very little attention to her boyfriend. Duncan was busy making paper airplanes to throw at his friends. On her other side sat her best friend, Taryn. Unfortunately, Taryn was busy filing her nails and in no mood to talk. So Jean allowed herself to skim the minds of her classmates for something new.

When she came across Lance however, she rolled her eyes at his thoughts. He was extremely pissed over the ordeal with Rogue and Scott. Jean gave a mental sigh as she thought about Rogue and Scott. Even though she had a boyfriend, she couldn't help but feel a tad bit jealous that Rogue had landed Scott Summers as her own. Though, from the looks of it Scott had a long way to go before Rogue completely trusted him with her heart. Jean was sure it had to do with the not quite forgotten Cody back in Mississippi.

In the back Rogue studied Lance quietly. Part of her wasn't completely ready to write him off from her heart. She admired his no nonsense, reckless attitude, and his loyalty to her. That's what had won her over in the first place. After a while Rogue spoke up.

"Lance, you can't stay mad forever."

"Just watch me."

"I still need you," murmured Rogue.

"You have Summers now, turn to him for protection," snapped Lance still not looking at her.

"Scott's not always going to be there for me. I don't know what's going on, Lance, but Scott and I are still from two different worlds. How do I know he's going to rush to my side if something bad happens?"

"Don't know and don't care."

Rogue narrowed her eyes at the back of Lance's head, but before she could say anything more she felt a vibration on her hip. She took a deep breath and stood up to leave. "Fine, be that way. I still consider you a friend, Lance. I hope you can consider me one too." Then she walked away. Rogue quietly made her way to the teacher and quickly asked for permission to use the restroom. Once she was out of the class she made her way out the front doors and back across the street to the payphone. She quickly put in some loose change and punched in the new number.

Magneto answered on the first ring. "Ah, my dear, and how are you today? I hear you dumped Lance for Scott. Excellent. He's the perfect way to gather information about the X-Men."

Rogue simply rolled her eyes. "Get to the point, Mags. I don't have all day."

"I want you to keep an eye on Pietro for me."

"What for? The kid's a walking disaster."

"He's my son, and I have given him a mission to complete. However, Pietro does not have what it takes to get the job done. I need you to be sure nothing happens to him."

"You want me to play babysitter?" Rogue groaned at the thought. This was hardly the type of jobs she had expected from Magneto, though she understood where he was coming from. Pietro was more than a handful, he was downright scary in his own egotistical way.

"Something like that. Consider it a test of your loyalty to me, only you can't let Pietro know you also work for me. It would be a hard blow for him to take knowing I trust you more than him."

"Great, Mags. Just great. Alright, what's the plan? What exactly is Speedy supposed to be doing?"

"I want him to let a mutant loose."

"Let a mutant loose? That's it? How hard can it be?"

"The mutant in question is known as the Juggernaut. He's been put into a stasis in a laboratory outside of town. Juggernaut is filled with rage and he possesses god-like strength…when his helmet is on. Without that piece of tin on his head he's nothing. Charles would hate to see Juggernaut on the loose again, but I feel it is time we see how well the X-Men work together."

Rogue snorted. "Find their strengths and weaknesses? You can be really lame when you have to be, Mags, did you know that? Fine, I'll watch the kid for you, but what if this Juggernaut attacks him? I'm not exactly a perfect match against someone with super strength."

"I'll send backup if it is needed." And then he hung up. Rogue stared down at the receiver.

"Gee, remind me to ask you for help with my homework too. Loser." Rogue hung up the phone and returned to school just as the bell rang and students filed into the halls and on to their next classes. Rogue searched around wearily for white hair, only to bump directly into Scott.

"Hey," he said grinning. Rogue gave him a genuine smile.

"Hey yourself."

"What are you doing over here? Class just let out—"

"I sit next to Lance in homeroom, and today's a bit awkward. I figured it'd be better to roam around the halls waiting for my next class."

"No problem. Come on, I'll walk you to your next class." Scott slipped an arm around Rogue's waist to lead her towards French when she caught sight of Pietro slipping out the front doors of the school. Rogue gently tugged on Scott's arm so he could look at her.

"If it's alright with you I'm going to take care of something else instead, so you won't be able to walk me to French class." Rogue raised a gloved finger as Scott opened his mouth to speak. "I know you're going to say ditching is bad, but today's just awkward, with all the classes I have with Lance, and then Chemistry with both of you. I have something else I need to do anyway, is that alright?"

Scott gave a small frown, but one look at Rogue's pleading eyes and he was sold. "Alright." As she turned to go, he grabbed her hands one more time. "What are you doing tonight?"

Rogue glanced at the doors and prayed Speedy wouldn't do anything stupid before she found a chance to catch up with him. Then she turned back to Scott, "Nothing, why?"

"How about a movie?"

Rogue allowed herself a warm smile at the idea. Maybe she'd get some normalcy after all. "I'd love to."

"Okay, I'll pick you up at the boarding house at seven tonight?"

"Yeah, that'd be great." Impulsively Rogue wrapped her arms around Scott in a hug and then she scampered out the front doors of the school to catch up with Pietro.

Behind her Scott grinned and gave Lance a wink as he turned towards his next class. Lance simply punched the nearest kid in the shoulder before heading towards his own class.

Outside Rogue stomped he foot in frustration. From the looks of it Pietro had already taken off and she had absolutely no idea which direction he had gone in. Then she noticed a figure in the shadows of the alley way across the street. Rogue grinned when she caught sight of Caliban. She quickly darted across the street and into the shadows where the pale mutant was hiding.

"I take it you have some news for me?" she asked leaning against the wall as Caliban looked around nervously.

Caliban nodded. "A new mutant has arrived in town. He will be joining your school within the next few days. His name is Fred Dukes. You can hit him with anything, but he won't hit the ground. He's a large boy, intimidating. He'll be an excellent addition to your team."

Rogue shrugged. "That's not my forte, but thanks anyway."

"Of course." Caliban hesitated before continuing. "I can feel another presence coming closer to Bayville."

"Another potential?" Rogue frowned as Caliban shook his head.

"Destiny. She is headed this way. As soon as she arrives I will let you know."

"Thanks. That means a lot to me. It really does."

Caliban turned to go when Rogue called after him. "Do you know where the Juggernaut is? I sort of need to find him."

"That one is dangerous, even for Magneto to control."

"Think of it as an experiment. Do you know where he is?"

"Bayville Mountain Laboratory. Follow the main road to the outskirts of town and then up the dirt road to the top of the mountain overlooking the town. You will find him there." And then the mutant seeker had disappeared into the shadows. Rogue pursed her lips as she walked back to the sunlight and looked towards Bayville Mountain. Things just couldn't be simple.

**Bayville Mountain Laboratory**

Rogue glared at the large grey building in front of her. It had taken a half hour to get here and now she had to find a way in. The gates in front of her were not climbing friendly. It was just her luck. She cautiously made her way around the area looking for a way in but found nothing. She leaned against the front gates and frowned. How the heck did Pietro get in?

"Rogue?" came a voice from the shadows.

"Speedy?" Rogue turned to peer into the forest and watched as Pietro came out to stand in front of her. This wasn't good, Rogue had to think up a story fast to avoid any suspicion.

"What are you doing here?" asked Pietro.

"I could ask you the same thing."

"I asked first."

Rogue narrowed her eyes. "Sometimes I think Toad is the only mature one out of you boys. I didn't get to check out the mountain last time I toured Bayville. I thought I'd spend the day here. Lance isn't exactly making school any fun right now. Not with the whole Scott thing. What about you?"

Pietro shrugged as he peered through the gates. "Thought I'd raise some hell for Bayville. There's a mutant locked and sealed inside…the X-Men would freak if he was let out."

"Really? Now, that's interesting. Were you planning on letting the fellow out or just thinking about it?"

"I need to get in first." Pietro studied the grounds within the gates and then glanced sideways at Rogue. "You want to help? I guess I could use an assistant."

Rogue forced herself not to roll her eyes at Pietro's offer. This kid really had no idea how to complete his dad's mission. Leave it to Magneto to offer Pietro a job simply because they were family. It made Rogue sick just thinking about it. This mission was about to become hers, and she wasn't sure she wanted it.

"Sure, why not? What's the plan?" asked Rogue coyly. It was probably best to let the speedster think he was in charge.

"There's a hidden tunnel not far from here that leads into the building. It should lead into the room with the controls to the mutant's cell thingy. Follow me." Pietro disappeared back into the woods as Rogue stared after him.

"Cell thingy? What the hell have I gotten myself into?" she muttered to herself as she followed her housemate further into the woods. Minutes later they came across a large tree surrounded by bushes. Pietro knocked on the base of the tree and part of the bark opened to reveal an opening.

"Do I even _want_ to know?" asked Rogue raising her eyebrows as Pietro motioned her inside.

"Let's just say that the mutants that can't be controlled by others or themselves are almost always sent here. Mutants that want to set them free had to find a secret way in."

"Then how come the X-Men don't let the fellow out?"

"They're the ones who put him here. Xavier knows the guy in charge…some mutant friendly government group of scientists. The freak man wants to be sure his brother is hidden away from people like us who could use his help."

Rogue froze. "Xavier's brother? Just how powerful is this mutant anyway? Isn't it too dangerous for us to let him loose?"

"Only if you get in the Juggernaut's way, Roguey, and I fully intend on being miles away once we get the guy out. Don't worry, I'll be sure to grab you on the run," said Pietro cockily. Rogue gave a small nod as this new bit of information was absorbed. Magneto sure knew what he was doing when it came to keeping the X-Men out of his way.

Pietro led the way down the tunnel until they reached a ladder leading toward the surface. Rogue followed the white haired teen up the rungs and allowed him to pull her top side. She glanced around and frowned at what she saw. No cameras, no security guards. It seemed as though the scientists were sure no one would try and break in. Pietro put the cover back into place and walked up the steps to a circular dome in the middle of the room. Rogue trailed behind and studied her surroundings in case they needed a fast exit.

There was a single hallway leading to and from the room, Rogue assumed that would be the fastest way out, unless Pietro could get the cover open again to high tail it out through the tunnel. Rogue eventually made her way to stand beside Pietro and gazed at the tube in front of them filled with water. Inside was a very large man in what looked to be an orange armored suit connected to an oxygen mask.

"This is him?" asked Rogue studying the man's brown hair and sleeping figure. Whatever that man benched, was probably quadruple the amount she and Pietro weighed together. Rogue searched inconspicuously for the helmet Magneto had spoken of and saw it in a glass case next to the control panel. She walked over to it and eyed the case carefully.

"That's what gives him his strength. That helmet. Without it, Xavier can take over his mind and lock him back up. The X-Men are no match for the Juggernaut." Pietro ran his hands over the case in awe and then turned his attention towards the controls beside it. "One of these will release him."

Rogue studied the controls and frowned. There were no labels for any of the buttons. "You really want to release him?" she asked wearily. If Mags gave the speedster lip for backing down, she would tear him to shreds. This wasn't a simple mission, this was a deadly one.

"Yeah," nodded Pietro.

"Alright, let me handle the controls. Stand back." Pietro took a step back as Rogue grabbed a metal chair from nearby. She lifted it over her head and then brought it down with all her strength onto the control panel. Rogue jumped back in surprise as the controls instantly began to spark and smoke. Above the teens computer screens flickered and then they went out.

"What'd you do?" whispered Pietro cowering behind Rogue.

"I…I'm not sure." Both Rogue and Pietro glanced over at the tube Juggernaut was in and watched with a mixture of relief and fear as the water began to drain out and the man began to wake up. As his eyes opened they centered onto the teens staring at him. He tore off his oxygen mask and pounded on the glass of the tube. He wanted out.

"I don't think that's good. He looks mad at us, Pietro. We better get out of here." Just as Rogue looked over at her housemate, alarms began to sound throughout the building, as red lights flashed inside the room. Pietro quickly grabbed the same chair Rogue had used and went to stand before the glass tube.

"Roguey, you get the man's helmet out, and then we can hit the road."

"Oh sure, give me the easy job," muttered Rogue glancing at the case. Looking around there was nothing she could use, save the chair in Pietro's hands. Finally, Rogue closed her eyes and thrust her fist through the glass at top speed. She bit her lip to keep from crying out as her bloody hand touched the helmet inside. Rogue tore at the glass with both of her hands just as Pietro brought the chair into contact with the Juggernaut's only wall between him and the outside world.

Just as Rogue had pulled the helmet free, the door into the room burst open with a lone scientist. He gave a shriek as Juggernaut shot a hand through the glass and around Pietro's neck.

"My helmet, girl, or the boy dies," ordered the mutant gruffly. Rogue quickly handed him the helmet and watched as Pietro fell to the ground. The speedster quickly grabbed one of Rogue's hands and began to run. They shoved past the sputtering scientist and down the hall. Behind them they could hear Juggernaut crashing through the rest of the glass and into freedom.

More and more scientists began to appear out of nowhere, and each tried to grab the fleeing teens. But as soon as they felt the earth beneath them shake, they knew what had happened. Rogue clutched Pietro's hand tightly and shot a quick glance over her shoulder. The Juggernaut was gaining on them.

"Speedy, I thought Juggerbutt was going to be somewhat grateful we got him out. How come he's after us?" called out Rogue with a touch of anger.

"I think he knows who my dad is," was the short reply.

_Great,_ thought Rogue darkly. _Mags didn't mention anything about the Juggerbutt holding a grudge against him._

The two mutants shot out the front doors of the laboratory and ran towards the gates. Pietro cupped his hands and motioned for Rogue to use them to boost herself up and over the front gate. Rogue was about to protest when Juggernaut crashed through the front doors. Rogue placed a foot in Pietro's hands and allowed herself to be lifted up and over the gates. She dropped to the other side and watched in horror as the Juggernaut clamped a hand around Pietro's neck once more and lifted him off the ground.

"Pietro!" screamed Rogue latching onto the gates and feeling completely helpless. Magneto was going to kill her. Where was that promised backup?

Rogue had tears falling freely down her face as Juggernaut began to choke Pietro. Then a black SUV pulled up in front of the gates and the last mutant Rogue had expected to see stepped out.

"Put him down, you idiot! Is this how you repay Magneto for getting you out? By killing his son?" demanded Sabertooth with a growl.

"Why would Magneto want to let me out, huh? He tried to kill me before…and then Charles locked me up in this hellhole. Why shouldn't I kill the brat?" hissed Juggernaut.

"Please…don't…kill…me," choked out Pietro trying to loosen Juggernaut's hands from around his neck. Juggernaut laughed and grabbed the gates, bending them down for him to get out. Sabertooth instantly pulled Rogue away and dragged her to the SUV. He opened the door to the passenger side and shoved her in. Shutting it he turned back to the Juggernaut.

"Charles will be here soon with his X-Men; it's them you want, freak show. Not Magneto's team. Give me the pipsqueak and I'll deal with them for botching the mission up. They weren't supposed to make a big show out of this…give me the kid!"

Juggernaut narrowed his eyes as he eyed the overgrown cat through his helmet. Then he shrugged and tossed Pietro in Sabertooth's arms. "Tell your boss, and Charles, that I'll be back. I want to enjoy freedom while I can."

Sabertooth simply growled as he opened the back door and pushed Pietro into the SUV. Rogue looked back with a tearstained face and breathed in relief as Pietro gave a thumb's up sign before passing out. Sabertooth got into the driver seat and the SUV peeled out and down the road, back towards the Brotherhood boarding house.

"Thank-you," said Rogue not daring to look up at her rescuer. Sabertooth grunted.

"You two could've been killed…and Magneto doesn't want that."

"I know…but I told him I wouldn't be much help to Pietro. He shouldn't have given Speedy the job."

"No one else is as stupid as him to want to do the job. Magneto's worried about you more. You're too valuable to lose."

Rogue nodded and then glanced back at Pietro. She figured he was pretty out of it and wouldn't hear what she was saying. "Caliban talked to me today. There's a new kid coming in the next few days. Fred Dukes. He can take a hit without falling to the ground. Sounds like he's impenetrable. He'd probably be an asset to the team…would you let Mags know about him? I don't know how else to let him know."

"That's fine. He'll call you soon to put you on another mission. He needs another favor. Be ready, I'll be watching you." Sabertooth pulled in front of the boarding house at the same time as Mystique. The shape shifter took a deep breath and walked over to the SUV. She glanced at the passengers and raised an eyebrow. Rogue waited for Sabertooth to explain.

"The kids released Juggernaut. Pietro's doing. She got caught up trying to make sure he didn't get himself killed. The bucket's on the loose, but said something about leaving town for awhile before coming back for the X-Men," said Sabertooth as Rogue got out of the vehicle.

"Tell Magneto that if he wants his son to do his dirty work—fine. But leave Rogue out of it! She's friends with the boys here…obviously she'll want to make sure they're okay." Mystique walked over and yanked the backdoor open and pulled Pietro out. She had barely shut the door when Sabertooth drove away.

Rogue bit her lip as Mystique hefted Pietro over her shoulder. "Are you mad at me?"

Mystique rolled her eyes. "Please…you let the Juggernaut loose on the X-Men…you're practically dating one…and you made it back alive. I'm pretty damn proud. Though I wish Eric wouldn't be such an ass about messing with the X-Men. The Brotherhood could do it if we had more members. He needs to get us more recruits."

"Maybe he has more kids like Speedy he can pull out of the woodwork," joked Rogue as they entered the house. Mystique chuckled.

"If they're anything like Pietro, I think he'll keep them hidden."

Pietro groaned as Mystique tossed him onto the couch. "Mom…I don't want to go to school dressed like a princess. I want to be a ninja turtle."

Mystique shook her head as Lance and Toad entered the house. Lance looked at Pietro and Rogue and then down at her hand.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Juggernaut's on the loose again," answered Mystique. "If you kids don't mind I'm going to hunt down Magneto and have a little chat about killing off my charges. Lance, fix Rogue's hand. I'll be back later."

Lance sighed and motioned for Rogue to follow him down the hall and into the bathroom. Without a word Rogue tore off her glove and washed it with soap and water. She frowned when Lance reached for her hand and snatched it out of his reach. Lance bit his tongue before searching for latex gloves under the sink. Rogue still hadn't told him about her powers, but he didn't feel like arguing about it right now. Not when she was hurt.

Rogue reluctantly let Lance put some medicine on her cuts and then watched as he wrapped it gently. When he was finished he leaned back against the sink and crossed his arms.

"I'm still your friend, Rogue. I always will be. I want you to know that you can count on me no matter what, okay? You scared the shit out of me leaving school like that to go after Pietro. Summers may not have noticed, but I did. Pietro does stupid shit like this all the time…I can't always be there to protect you."

"I know."

"Are you okay?"

Rogue shrugged and cursed herself for letting more tears develop. The truth was she had been scared shitless today…and she didn't like that feeling. She was as weak as a non-mutant with her powers. Lance sighed as he saw the tears and pulled Rogue into a hug. In that moment Lance knew he still had a chance with Rogue. And he would be damned if he didn't lose her to Summers without a fight.

**A/N—As of July 18, 2007 this chapter has been revised.**


	11. Fur and Whiskers

Disclaimer—Still don't own any of this stuff

**Disclaimer—Still don't own any of this stuff.**

**Chapter 10-Fur and Whiskers**

Rogue woke up the next morning to the throbbing of her hand. Groaning she sat up and inspected her wound. The cloth was stained with old blood; she definitely needed a new one now.

_God bless painkillers_, she thought to herself as she opened the aspirin bottle on her nightstand. She quickly swallowed two pills and leaned back against her headboard.

Yesterday had not gone over very well with Magneto's mission. Pietro had made a mess of a simple task—the X-Men _had _to know what had happened by now.

What would Scott think?

**At The X-Mansion**

Scott and Jean exchanged wary glances as Xavier informed his charges of Juggernaut's escape.

"Wolverine, Storm, and I went to inspect the scene and came up with very few clues," sighed Charles rubbing his temples.

Logan merely grunted. "I smelt fear _and_ I got a whiff of an overgrown fur ball. Not surprised either. Damn bastard works with old metal head. If you ask me, Magneto's the one behind all this."

"Please, Logan, do you have to be so crude in front of the children?" murmured Ororo placing a hand on his arm. Logan growled and pulled away from her touch.

"I'm afraid Logan is right. Magneto is indeed the most logical suspect for the time being. Though from what I gathered from the scattered thoughts of the scientists, I would have to say that Sabertooth did not pull the breakout on his own. Several of the esteemed men believe they say two teens running from Juggernaut. A boy with white hair and a girl of the same age," added Charles.

Jean frowned. "That would mean Pietro and Rogue. I see why Pietro would be involved, but Rogue? I thought she wasn't working with the Brotherhood."

"Oh please," snorted Kitty, "she seriously cannot live with Lance and them and not work for them."

Kurt nodded enthusiastically. "Ja. She has a temper—she's blown up at Lance _and _Pietro."

"She _isn't_ on their side!" snapped Scott jumping to his feet. The room became silent as each person took notice of the fuming teen.

"Look here, kid," said Logan poking Scott in the chest, "you can date the girl all you want and claim you know her—but it doesn't change a thing. The Rogue is with the Brotherhood. She's bad news. Don't let your personal feelings cloud your judgment as an X-Man."

"It won't." Scott shoved past Logan and out the door of Xavier's office. Minutes later they heard a car start and take off.

"Aww man," moaned Evan. "There goes our ride."

Ororo smiled as she handed Logan a pair of keys. "It is your turn to carpool."

Logan snarled as he snatched the keys out of her hands. Kitty, Kurt, Evan, and Bobby quickly gathered their things and followed Logan out. Jean turned to follow but glanced back at the Professor once more.

_How is he, Jean?_

_Pretty close to falling more than head over heels for her. He wants to be her knight in shining armor—he wants to rescue her from the clutches of the Brotherhood._

Charles nodded in understanding and Jean silently left the room deep in thought. Scott was becoming Mr. Right and all for another girl. She wasn't sure things could get any worse.

**At School**

The moment Scott pulled into the school parking lot he noticed Rogue sitting on the front steps of the school.

"Hey," he said softly taking a seat beside her. Rogue simply gave him a small smile. Scott eyed her bandaged hand carefully.

"I'm sorry," murmured Rogue as he looked away. Scott looked back into her eyes and found tears welling up.

"Don't be. Everyone makes mistakes."

"You make it sound so easy. You don't even know what I did!"

"Juggernaut," he whispered. Rogue nodded.

"Speedy would've killed himself. I was already there so I figured I could tag along. Everything got screwed up after that. The big guy wasn't too friendly outside of his tube."

Scott chuckled. "As long as you're okay, Rogue, I don't really give a damn what went down yesterday. I _know_ you aren't working for the Brotherhood. You're too good for that."

"Thank-you." Rogue gave him another teary eyed smile and allowed herself to be pulled into Scott's arms.

She didn't deserve him.

Lance watched the scene unfold from within the school. Behind him he heard an amused chuckle. Turning, he came face to face with Pietro.

"Something funny, Maximoff?" demanded Lance.

Pietro shrugged. "It seems to me your Roguey is head over heels for Summers. I thought she belonged to you."

"Fuck off."

"Make me. Summers stole your girl, Lance. What are you going to do about it?"

"I said _fuck off_." Lance clenched his fists. Pietro raised his hands in defense and took a step back.

"Whoa now!" Pietro laughed nervously.

"Rogue and Scott won't be together for much longer. _Trust _me." Lance pushed past the speedster, knocking him into a nearby locker.

"Are you going to break them up?"

"I don't have to Ever read _Romeo and Juliet_? Rogue and Summers aren't meant to last. Just wait and see. I'll get her back."

Toad popped out of a nearby locker and watched as Pietro rubbed his throbbing back. "Yo Speedy, think Summers will kiss Rogue before Lance does?"

"Doubt it, Lance won't give them a chance. Besides, Rogue unleashed the Juggernaut. Scotty boy won't trust her for much longer. Not if I can help it."

"What are you planning?"

Pietro grabbed Toad by the scruff of his neck and dragged him down the hallway whispering a mile a minute.

Outside Rogue looked up with interest as a black minivan pulled up in front of the school. The X-Man known as Wolverine was behind the wheel.

"You didn't give your friends a ride?"

"No."

"I'm the reason, huh?"

Scott gave Rogue a sheepish smile as Kitty flounced past them muttering to herself about a stick up someone's ass. Both Evan and Bobby glanced at Rogue in silence. Kurt was the only one bold enough to stop as Jean gave a warning gesture to the sitting couple.

"You suck!" said Kurt. Then he marched into the school after Jean.

"Was he talking to you or me?" asked Rogue raising an eyebrow.

"I think that was a double whammy." Scott stood up and offered his hand to Rogue. The southern girl rolled her eyes in amusement as she walked hand in hand into school with Scott.

By the time Scott had walked Rogue over to her homeroom he was feeling ten times better. He had finally met a girl worth breaking some rules for.

"Scott, we need to talk," sighed Kurt preventing the older X-Man from entering his homeroom.

"What? Are you going to tell me Rogue's not worth it?" grumbled Scott.

"Is she? She's the enemy!"

"She's still one of us!"

"An X—"

"No!" hissed Scott. The two paused their argument as other students filed into the classroom. Scott motioned Kurt over by the broken drinking fountain so as not to be heard.

"She's a mutant, just like us," Scott continued evenly.

"She unleashed a dangerous mutant into society! How can you defend her for betraying the peace_ we_ stand for?" demanded Kurt with frustration.

"Rogue is an innocent. I know deep down she believes in peace, but right now she's scared. Wouldn't you be with her powers? When it comes down to it, I bet Rogue would protect an X-Man from harm—just like she watched out for Pietro and let Juggernaut out."

"Man, I hope you're right—or else we're all going to be dead following you."

Scott grimaced and headed towards class. He wouldn't let the German teen set him off at school. That's what the danger room was for.

Kurt shook his head in defeat and was set to enter homeroom when two pairs of hands grabbed him from behind.

**Later That Day**

Rogue slammed her books on the table upon entering chemistry. Behind her Lance was reading aloud from a sheet of paper all the reasons why she should dump Scott Summers.

Finally she snapped. "Stop it! Lay off me, Alvers, or I'll kick your ass!"

Lance made a face and crumbled the paper into a ball. He flicked it at Scott's head as he took his customary seat beside Rogue. Scott broke his pencil in half as Jean gripped his arm in restraint. Rogue and Jean locked eyes. Rogue bit her tongue from speaking and the red head let go of Scott. Now wasn't the time.

The teacher entered the room forcing the students to give him their attention. Dr. McCoy smiled brightly before launching into a long winded narrative on the latest assignment.

"Now, you each need to pair up into groups of two. Today is just the set up procedures and tomorrow will be the actual experiment. Well, hop to it!"

_Oh boy_, thought Rogue grimly as she rubbed her temples. Normally she would have paired up with Lance, but she wasn't so sure that was a good idea with Scott in the picture.

"Alright, Roguey," started Lance.

"Wait just a minute," cut in Scott getting to his feet. "I don't think that's such a great idea."

"Oh yeah? How come? Afraid she'll dump you for a real man?" Lance also got to his feet. Jean noticed Rogue squeezing her eyes shut. Apparently the southerner didn't like the attention.

"Come on, guys," insisted Jean stepping in between the two boys. "Let's be mature about this, shall we? What does Rogue want?"

"A smoke," muttered Rogue to herself. Jean was at a loss for words, enabling Scott and Lance to resort to the usual push and shove match.

"Dammit, Summers—you just don't know when to quit, do you?" questioned Lance through clenched teeth.

"Almost as well as you do," shot back Scott. Lance growled and punched his archenemy in the gut just as Dr. McCoy came to intervene.

"Great," whispered Rogue feeling a buzz at her hip. "Just great."

Scowling at the feuding boys and Jean, Rogue decided to use the commotion as her escape. By the time Jean could inform any one of Rogue's absence, the Rogue was long gone.

**On The Other Side of Town**

Cigarette in mouth, Rogue tapped her foot impatiently waiting for Magneto to pick up the phone.

"Took you long enough," growled the man.

"School's a mess. I had to high tale it out of there before Jeanie spilled the beans."

"You would do well to rein in your frivolous lovers, Rogue."

"Fuck off, Mags. What do you want?" Rogue flicked her cigarette to the ground. She was losing her temper.

"Pietro is up to something. He and that mutant Toad have 'captured' an X-Man down at the park. I want you to put an end to their shenanigans."

"'Captured' an X-Man? Which one?"

"The blue one."

"Your boy is quite a handful, Magsy. I should get paid for this," chuckled Rogue.

"Just stop whatever it is they are doing, Rogue. I'll deal with them later. They are not to screw with the X-Men without direct orders—_is that clear_?"

"Crystal." Rogue hung up first and headed for the park. Today was not a good day to piss her off. And now Pietro and Toad would receive the brunt of her anger.

**At The Park**

Kurt eyed Pietro and Toad groggily from his position tied to a tree. The two mutants were pacing back and forth contemplating how to use Kurt to break Rogue and Scott up for good.

"This is stupid!" exclaimed Toad throwing his hands in the air. "He can poof outta here as soon as he wakes up."

Pietro paused thoughtfully. "I never thought about that."

"Better start," mumbled Kurt readying himself to teleport to a safe place.

"What the hell is going on here?" All three boys turned to see Rogue standing before them. Kurt gulped and froze with fear.

"N…nothing," said Pietro with a fake grin. He hadn't expected her to show up before he could come up with an actual plan. Rogue raised her eyebrows and punched her housemate in the nose. Kurt cheered as blood gushed out.

"Whoa!" Toad put his hands in the air and backed away from the pissed mutant. Rogue only glared at him as she went to untie Kurt.

"Thank-you," said the German gratefully. Rogue ignored him and turned back to Toad and Pietro.

"You boys are hopeless. What was the point of this?"

Pietro cupped his fingers around his nose, muffling his answer. "Trying to prove whose side you're on."

"Really now? To who? You, Toad and the fur ball?"

The teens froze as a deep growl reverberated from within the woods. Sabertooth stepped out from behind a tree with a malicious grin on his face.

"Bad day, bad day, bad day," murmured Kurt with torn emotions. Rogue had rescued him—he couldn't just leave her now.

"We having a picnic without me?" asked Sabertooth eyeing each teen carefully. Pietro took a step behind Rogue as Toad cowered behind Kurt.

"What do you want, Whiskers?" shot back Rogue warily. She knew he resented both her and Pietro for screwing up Juggernaut's release. Just because he worked for Mags didn't mean he wouldn't rough them up for fun.

"Maybe I'm hungry."

"Eat Toad—I hear reptiles are a good source of iron," suggested Kurt nervously.

"Nah. Now I'm not so hungry, but maybe I'll change my mind _after_ I kill you kids."

Pietro was shaking in fear. "I'm out of here!"

Rogue fumed as she felt Pietro speed off for safety. Then she glanced over at Kurt.

"Get us out of here, blue," she ordered as Sabertooth cracked his knuckles.

"Huh?" Kurt snapped his head to look at Rogue and her words began to sink in.

"You heard the girl! Poof us outta here!" shrieked Toad shaking Kurt. The German quickly grabbed hold of Rogue's arm and transported them back to school. They looked around in relief just as the bell rang signaling the end of the day.

"Thanks," said Rogue. She gave Kurt a genuine smile before disappearing into the school to find Scott. Kurt was silent and pushed Toad to the ground before heading off to meet Kitty.

"Fine, leave me here," muttered Toad bitterly. "No one ever appreciates the Toad."

**A/N—As of July 18, 2007 this chapter has been revised.**


	12. Food Fight

Disclaimer—Unfortunately, I still don't own this stuff

**Disclaimer—Unfortunately, I still don't own this stuff.**

**11—Food Fight**

Rogue found Scott pacing back and forth in front of her locker. His face was strained with worry for her. Watching him, Rogue decided he deserved any and all guilt. Lance too. She didn't like being fought over, it brought too much attention to her.

"Looking for me?" she demanded startling Scott from his thoughts.

"Rogue! I was worried about you! Where have you been?"

"Ask Kurt."

Scott grabbed Rogue by her shoulders, forcing her to look in his eyes. "What happened?" asked Scott with a serious tone of voice.

"Speedy and Toad grabbed Blue and I saved him. Though I don't think the kid was in any real danger. Until Whiskers showed up."

"Whiskers?"

"Sabertooth."

"Jesus Christ! And _that's_ not a big deal?"

Rogue shrugged helplessly. "There wasn't much you could have done, Scott."

Frowning, Scott lowered his voice. "Promise me that from now on you'll come to me for help. I'm here for you, Rogue. I'm on your side. I always will be—no matter what."

"Are you sure? Because a lot can happen in the future." Rogue bit her lip as she tried to read Scott's eyes from within his ruby lenses.

"Of course!"

"Then I'll come to you next time I need help. I promise." Rogue wrapped her arms around Scott's waist and was reassured as he held onto her tightly. Everything was going to be okay.

Jean frowned. Why was she so jealous of Rogue? She already had a great boyfriend. Though, glancing at Duncan she could fathom a few reasons why her emotions were going haywire. Duncan wasn't the brightest kid on the block. Especially when compared to Scott.

"C'mon, Jean. The movie's gonna start soon," grumbled Duncan. Jean merely nodded and took her boyfriend's arm. Passing Rogue and Scott she caught Rogue's eye; she gave the southerner a genuine smile. Rogue returned it with a small one of her own as she snuggled into Scott's arms. For now Jean wasn't much of a threat. But eventually the two would have to come to terms with Scott and his relationship with both of them.

**Later On**

Pietro was ranting and raving to Lance when Rogue came through the front door. Rolling her eyes in amusement, she leaned against the doorframe and listened to the Speedster.

"I'm telling you, Lance, Sabby showed up and wanted to eat me! He attacked, but I dodge him left and right until he was dizzy. Poor cat fell to the ground. No one can mess with the Speedmeister, no siree." Pietro proudly placed his hands on his hips and struck a pose. Lance caught Rogue's wink and nodded in awe of Pietro's story.

"That's kind of funny, Speedy. I don't remember it going down like that." For every step Rogue took into the room, Pietro took one backwards. He gulped and tugged at the hem of his shirt nervously. She didn't need any weapons, one look and the other teen was ready to cry mercy. He couldn't quite put a finger on the reason why she seemed so intimidating, and unlike the girl he had first met not so very long ago. She had changed in such a short time, and Pietro wasn't sure it was for the better.

"R…really?" he stammered.

"Really. From what I can recall, _you_ left me and Toad with the little blue guy. _I_had to make the fellow transport us out of there. _You_ were long gone by then. Sabby never had a chance to even growl at you."

Pietro gave a nervous chuckle. "Oh yeah. Now that I think of it, yeah, it _did_ kind of happen that way. Huh, funny thing about my mind, isn't it?" Before either Rogue of Lance could say anything, Pietro took off for his room. Lance snorted and stretched his arms above his head. Rogue grinned and sat next to him as he settled back down.

"So, you saved the X-Kid and Toad, huh?" asked Lance casually.

"Uh-huh. If you want to call it that. The blue boy did most of the work, I just made sure he got both me and Toad out too. No big deal. Why? Concerned?"

"Maybe." Lance took a deep breath. "Alright, you know I'm concerned about you. Sabertooth isn't very nice to the Brotherhood. He has a killing streak in him."

"I know, but I also know how to take care of myself."

"So you say. I haven't seen you in action yet."

Rogue made a face. "If I have my way then you won't see me 'in action' for a while longer."

"You can't hide forever, Rogue. No mutant can," said Lance quietly. "The world's changing."

"I know, but I can always hope, can't I?" Rogue turned to look her housemate in the eyes. Both knew that hope was useless. Then a knock at the door broke their reverie. Rogue got to her feet and went to open the door. All she found was a piece of paper on the ground. Picking it up, she noticed that it was addressed to her. She flipped it open and found a place and time written in shaky handwriting. No name.

"Who is it?" called Lance from the other room.

"Pranksters," called back Rogue shoving the paper in her pocket. "I'm going to take a walk, alright?"

"Need some company?"

Rogue felt herself smile at his heartfelt offer "Maybe tomorrow."

"It's a date!"

Rogue shut the door behind her, choosing not to comment on Lance's words. She pulled a cigarette from her coat pocket and lit it up as she headed towards the park. Along the way, she mused over her emerging relationship with Scott. After the whole Cody incident, Rogue had thought she would never love again. Of course, she wasn't certain that this was love. Whatever it was though, she trusted Scott with all her heart.

Emerging from the shadows, Caliban shifted Rogue's thoughts to the reason she had come to the park. Her seeker had called for her.

"Nice to hear from you again, Caliban. I thought you had fallen down on the job," murmured Rogue wryly.

"I have been waiting to be sure my senses were not misleading me. The new mutant has finally arrived in town."

"That kid you talked about the other day?"

"Yes. He will be in your premises tomorrow."

"You mean school, right?"

Caliban nodded. "He is confused…and perhaps, scared. He has not been accepted by peers for who he is?"

"A mutant?"

"His physical features."

"Oh yeah. So how big is this guy?"

"He is quite large. Intimidating, but his heart is pure. Tomorrow will be a test for his temper when he is set amongst others his age. I fear that if he is not received well by the students he will snap."

"Thanks for the warning, then. You're a good guy, Caliban, helping me out and all."

"You are my friend, Rogue, even if you are being misled down a dangerous path."

Rogue grinned. "Some things just can't be helped."

"Apparently you and I see things differently," observed Caliban turning back towards the woods. "I will talk to you later."

"Bye." Rogue watched the pale mutant disappear before putting out her lingering cigarette. She wasn't altogether certain what to do with this vital piece of information. God only knew when she would talk to Magneto again to let him know the new mutant was here.

For the time being Rogue was torn. The mutant sounded like a ticking time bomb. She wasn't sure how he would handle the chaos at Bayville high. Gossip was the main food source, and not all of it was healthy. But what could she do? Send him to the X-Men with Scott or take him in to the Brotherhood with Lance?

"This is _not _turning out to be a good day," she muttered to herself.

"Suit yourself," growled Sabertooth dropping down from a nearby tree. Rogue barely gave him a second glance.

"Do you always do that?" she demanded bitterly.

"Magneto wants the kid on our side."

"Then you get him."

"He wants you to convince the boy."

Rogue tilted her head to one side thoughtfully. Nobody pushed her around. "That's funny. If I did that then it would mean I was working for the Brotherhood. Since I'm not on their side, why the hell should I ask this guy to join them?"

"Boss's orders."

"Then _you _can tell Magneto to go screw himself." Rogue turned on her heels and stalked back in the direction of the boarding house. Behind her Sabertooth was grinding his teeth in anger.

**The Next Day**

The moment Rogue stepped out of Lance's jeep; she was on the lookout for the oversized teen mutant. So far, all she could see was Scott headed her way.

"Morning," she said with a small smile. Scott flashed a grin as he wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Ready for school?" he asked. Rogue shrugged and ignored the look Lance was shooting her way. The couple walked into the school and stopped short at the scene before them. Standing in the middle of the hallway was a very large teen with a blonde Mohawk. He was intimidating on first sight, but Rogue caught a glimpse of fear in his eyes. They softened in relief as a single girl stepped forward to introduce herself.

"Hi, I'm Jean Grey."

"Fred Dukes." The boy shook her hand and Rogue bit her lip to keep from grinning.

_Way to go, Jeanie_, she thought to herself. Maybe there was hope for the red head after all.

"That's great of Jean, isn't it?" murmured Scott as he and Rogue walked towards her homeroom. Rogue rolled her eyes as Scott babbled on. "I mean, she's really something. No one else would try and befriend someone like that Fred guy—but Jean…she's just a sweet person. Always thinking of others. You know—"

"Scott," cut in Rogue with very little regret, "I've got to get to class, okay?"

"Oh yeah. I'll catch you later." Scott gave Rogue a quick hug and jogged down the hall to his homeroom. Rogue dropped her messenger bag to the ground and dragged it on the floor behind her as she went to take a seat beside Lance.

"Don't even start," she threatened. Lance simply shut his mouth with a knowing smirk.

Rogue propped her chin in her hands and watched as Jean entered class with Fred right behind her. Frowning, the southerner noticed the adoring glint in his eyes. He was head over heels smitten. Turning her gaze to Duncan, Rogue's frown deepened. Nothing good could come of Fred's growing crush.

Jean was thinking along the same lines as Rogue. She had befriended Fred, knowing very well he was a mutant, but she hadn't anticipated the extent of his gratitude towards her. Unfortunately, his gratitude was turning into something deeper, and unwanted.

"Um, Jean," started Fred shyly. "Are you any good at math?"

"Uh-huh, why?" replied Jean with a smile.

"I might need some tutoring. I have basic math, but…numbers confuse me."

"So drop out," hissed Duncan from his seat behind Jean. The red head shot her boyfriend a death glare as Fred's face fell.

"Fred, I'd love to help you. We can work at the library after school. Is that all right with you?"

"Yeah, thanks, Jean. You're the best!"

Jean nodded with another smile and turned away as Fred set about doodling in his notebook. With a grim face, she wondered how she would be able to get out of the mess she had just gotten into.

Lunch didn't come early enough for Jean. Somehow, she had managed to get through her morning classes…each one with Fred following her around like a lost puppy. And his adoration was beginning to scare her. Balancing her tray in one hand, Jean took a seat beside Duncan. Fred was right behind her. Across the room, she caught sight of Scott and Rogue leaving the cafeteria. Her heart grew heavy at unbidden thoughts just as Fred sat next to her. She had a horrible gut feeling now—and she wasn't sure how she would get through it in one piece.

Duncan had jumped to his feet the second Fred sat down. He was tired of the fat kid stalking his girlfriend. "Hey, fatso, why don't you get lost, huh? No one wants you here!"

"Jean does," murmured Fred stoically.

"Look, buddy, Jean is _my _girlfriend. _I _don't like the way you're hanging all over her. It's not right!"

Fred looked up at the footballer with an ominous look. "Then maybe _you _should get lost. Jean likes me, so _I'm _sticking around."

"Either get lost or be sorry." Duncan let his threat hang in the air. Fred took a deep breath before getting to his feet.

"No. _You're _the one that's gonna be sorry. Jean is mine."

"You're fucked up, kid."

"Leave now and maybe you won't get hurt!"

Jean took a timid stance between the feuding teens. "Stop it! This isn't getting us anywhere! Fred, Duncan is my boyfriend! Duncan, Fred is my friend! Can't we all get along?"

Duncan grabbed Jean by the elbow. "Babe, this freak show is stalking you! Why the hell should I stand by and let him think you're with him?"

"Now I'm getting mad!" stated Fred clenching his giant fists into balls. Duncan snorted as he pushed Jean aside gently.

"Look, asshole, I'm sick and tired of your yapping! Get lost!"

Fred simply shook his head and shoved Duncan to the ground. Students shrieked and fled the area around Fred and Duncan. The quarterback jumped back to his feet and tried to rush Fred. The large teen was immobile. Jean caught her breath as Duncan was thrown into the wall. She had to do something, but what? With no hesitation, she hurried out of the cafeteria. Jean needed some serious back up.

During the ensuing chaos in the cafeteria, Rogue and Scott were outside sitting beneath a large oak tree. Gloved fingers entwined with Scott's, Rogue was oblivious to the world.

"So traveling the world? I wouldn't mind that," murmured Scott.

"What about your position as an X-Man? Wouldn't you need some sort of permission to leave?"

Scott shrugged. "Only if I intend to stay an X-Man after high school."

"Will you?" Rogue held her breath for his response.

"Depends. I might want to go see the world with you after graduation."

"Really?"

"Yeah, really." Scott looked into Rogue's eyes and smiled. He adored her, and he knew the feeling was mutual. Leaning closer, he heard her catch her breath. "Trust me," he whispered. Rogue barely nodded and closed her eyes in anticipation.

The kiss never came.

Jean burst outside in torrents of tears. Scott and Rogue broke apart in surprise at the intrusion. Within seconds, Scott was on his feet and at Jean's side. Rogue followed at a much slower pace. By the time she reached Scott and Jean, the red head was speaking coherently.

"Fred won't leave me alone and now he's trying to hurt Duncan!" sobbed Jean clutching Scott's shirt.

Rogue frowned. "Maybe if your boyfriend would play nice, then Fred wouldn't be so pissed."

Jean shot Rogue a dark look. "The freak is stalking me. Every time I turn around, there he is!"

"Maybe you should have thought of that _before_ you made friends with him. Fred is scared! He hasn't had friends before—look at him, the poor guy's a bit intimidating! You turn on him now and you're screwing yourself out of an ally."

Scott made a face. "Any mutant who uses his powers against innocents is no ally."

"Any mutant who isolates a fellow mutant is no hero," shot back Rogue acerbically.

"Rogue, listen to me. Fred is a bully—he needs to be taught a lesson. All I'm going to do is show him how this school works!"

"Please, Rogue," pleaded Jean, her eyes wild with fear. "He's not good at heart! Scott's the only one who can deal with him without giving away our mutant status!"

Rogue shook her head angrily and turned to Scott. "Don't do it! The poor guy just needs a friend. Don't make him the enemy! If you do this, Scott, then you're no better than the people you preach against."

"Sometimes rules have to be broken in order to keep the peace," Scott reasoned matter-of-factly. With those words he led Jean by the crook of her elbow back inside the school. Rogue felt hot tears running down her cheeks. Betrayal had never hurt so much, but Rogue had learned to steel her heart since Louisiana. And she had also gained a few things by secretly working for Magneto.

Running through the halls, she spotted Lance, Pietro, and Toad hanging around under the stairs. Lance looked up in astonishment as Rogue catapulted herself into his arms, letting the tears fall freely.

"Rogue, what's wrong? Did Scott do something to you?" demanded Lance clutching her close to his chest. Pietro and Toad watched with total concern for their female housemate.

Rogue continued to cry. "They're going to hurt him! He only needs a friend! Scott's following Jean's orders to teach Fred a lesson! He's just like us! He's one of us!"

Pietro shook his head in frustration. "Those X-Freaks are always trying to run the show. If we don't play by their rules, we're the enemy."

"I say we teach them a lesson, yo. Get Fred on our side," agreed Toad patting Rogue on the back consolingly.

Lance nodded in agreement. "It's high time Summers learned who _really _runs this school!"

Inside the cafeteria, Duncan was being tended to by a hysterical Jean. Scott stood between them and Fred Dukes. "Lay off them, Fred," ordered Scott. "There's no need to be a bully here."

"I haven't done anything wrong," retorted Fred.

"And Duncan just got a black eye by magic, right?"

Fred shrugged with a smirk. "Don't give a damn how he got it. Maybe he got too close to my fist."

"Maybe you did it on purpose."

"So what if I did? Duncan Doughnut here asked for it."

Scott set his lips in a firm line. He pushed up his sleeves and took a deep breath. Looking at Fred he could hear Rogue's words echoing in his ear. He'd make it up to her later. Scott grabbed the nearest tray and flung it at Fred's large gut. It bounced to the floor.

"See, _that_ was stupid." Fred cracked his knuckles and picked Scott up by the shirt.

"Stop it!" screeched Jean. Nearby, Evan and Bobby exchanged a look. Scott needed some serious help. Evan picked up a couple of trays and launched them across the floor, knocking Fred off balance. The large boy fell to the ground, dropping Scott as he did so. Bobby looked over at Scott and gave a tiny nod that went unnoticed by the other students. He bent down on the floor, acting as though he was about to launch another tray at Fred; in actuality, Bobby placed two fingertips in a direct path towards Fred, icing it up before sending the tray straight for the bully. Fred tried to get back on his feet, but slipped on the ice. Students laughed and Fred became flustered. Each time he moved he would slip and fall once more. Finally, Fred gave up and stared at the small circle of students surrounding him. He recognized them as Jean's friends.

Scott, Bobby, Evan, Jean, Kitty, and Kurt stared down at Fred with unreadable looks. Scott took a step forward to say something, but his words were drowned out by the cafeteria doors flying open. In the doorway stood Rogue, Lance, Pietro, and Toad.

Rogue led the Brotherhood over to Fred and the circle of X-Men. She pushed Jean aside and gazed down at Fred. Without a word she offered him her hand. Lance shoved Bobby to the ground as Fred took Rogue's gloved hand.

"Thank-you," he murmured, managing to get on his feet without dragging the brunette to the ground.

"No problem, sugar. That's what friends are for."

Scott tensed as Rogue's words hit him. "Rogue—" he started.

"Don't start with me," she snapped turning to face him. "I can't believe you would do something like this. Torturing a poor kid because he isn't like you?"

"It's not like that, Rogue," said Jean coming to Scott's aide.

Rouge lashed out at Jean. "Save it for someone who really cares, Jeanie. I don't give a damn. Fred may not be popular like your Duncan boy, but he's human too. And hedoes have a good heart. Don't play games, Jeanie, if you can't be a real sport about it."

Lance chuckled. "See, here's the difference between you morons and us." He gestured to himself and the rest of the Brotherhood. "We take anybody in if they want to join. We aren't picky."

"Rogue, listen. I'm sorry!" said Scott stepping towards Rogue. He stopped as he felt a large hand on his shoulder. Looking up he saw Fred glaring down at him.

"Take another step towards my friend and I'll sit on you," he threatened menacingly. Scott gulped and Rogue smiled.

"Sorry, Scott, I just don't think it's working out between us. We're too different. Maybe in some alternate reality, huh?"

"Yo, this place sucks. Lets boogie," moaned Toad heading towards the doorway.

"No kidding," agreed Pietro wrinkling his nose in disgust. "Too many losers here for my taste."

Lance thrust an arm around Rogue's shoulders and they too turned to leave.

"Oh, Fred sugar, you're more than welcome to join us," called back Rouge. Fred grinned and joined the group.

"Hey, are you any good at math?" he questioned.

"Pietro's a whiz," replied Rogue with a bright smile. Fred returned it with a large one of his own. He finally felt welcome.

As the cafeteria doors swung shut, the X-Men looked at each other with worried looks. Scott brushed Jean away as he dropped to his knees. If Rogue had just joined the Brotherhood, it was all his doing.

In chemistry class, Rogue was smiling shyly as Lance tried to comfort her broken heart.

"You know, Roguey, you and Scott weren't meant to be," mused Lance softly.

"How so?"

"Romeo and Juliet. Would've been a bitch if you died for Summers."

Rogue giggled at the crude compliment. "No worries, Lance. I've learned my lesson."

"Alright," conceded Lance. "You still owe me a date."

"Really now? Says who?"

"You promised me one."

Fred spoke up from behind the couple. "I think you should keep that promise, Rogue," he whispered loudly. Lance grinned as Rogue blushed.

She sighed in defeat. "Okay, one date and then we take it from there."

"You've got a deal!" Lance's smile got bigger as Scott walked into the room. The X-Man locked his jaw and took his seat beside Jean. Rogue gave a wave and turned back to Lance. Fred snickered at the obvious cold shoulder snub. Rogue knew how to play the betrayal game very well now. She wouldn't let some boy get her down, especially the enemy. Magneto would be proud.

**A/N—As of July 18, 2007 this chapter has been revised.**


	13. Tumble

**Disclaimer—I don't own this…which is too bad.**

**Chapter 12-Tumble**

Rogue studied herself in the mirror nervously. Truth be told, she was dreading her upcoming date with Lance. But dreading in a good way. Every time she thought about him her stomach did flip flops and she found herself smiling like a love struck fool. Lance was a typical bad boy…but Rogue found his rugged looks and reckless spirit all that more attractive. And now here she was contemplating whether to put on make-up for once, or just getting their date over with. Rogue jumped as she heard a crash come from the kitchen downstairs.

"Ah need a new life," she sighed to herself as she left her room and took the stairs two at a time. Rogue cautiously approached the kitchen where Lance was already leaning against the doorframe with a knowing smirk on his face. Peering in, Rogue shook her head at the scene.

"I think I broke somethin', yo," muttered Toad sitting up and clutching his head.

Pietro snickered. "Yeah, Mystique's favorite china set."

"Look at my sandwich," moaned Fred eyeing his destroyed meal displayed about the room.

"Y'all betta clean up before Mystique gets here," said Rogue with an amused smile.

"No shit," agreed Lance. "And as much as I wanna help—me and Rogue have a date. I'll catch you guys later."

"Not so fast there, Rockman," called out Pietro jumping to his feet. "You mean to say that you guys are actually coming back here tonight? That's a first for you, isn't it?"

Lance steeled his face and looked ready to attack the speedster, but Rogue quickly jumped in. "He has ta bring meh back, sugah—or he'll find himself unable to have kids in the future."

"Alright, Roguey!" cheered Fred licking mustard off his chubby fingers.

"See? Nothing to worry about," murmured Lance leading Rogue towards the doorway. Rogue grinned and waved bye to her housemates. As soon as the couple had gone, the remaining teen boys eyed each other warily.

"We still spyin' on 'em?" asked Toad.

" 'Course we are," replied Pietro. "What else are we gonna do tonight?"

**Outside the Movie Theater:**

Lance shoved his hands in his front pockets and avoided Rogue's eyes as the two waited in line to get tickets. For the first time in his life, Lance Alvers had absolutely no clue what to say to a girl.

Rogue tilted her head to one side as she studied her date carefully. There was more to him than met the eye. "Ah do believe this is the first time Ah've seen ya so quiet. Speechless, sugah?"

"Nervous."

"What for? We're already friends."

"I know." Lance looked up shyly, trying to find the right words to say. "You're different from all the other girls, Rogue. You don't take shit from no one, not even me—it's kinda…"

"Intimidatin'?" supplied Rogue helpfully.

Lance nodded. "Yeah. I've never felt this way before."

"Meh neither," replied Rogue softly.

"I don't know what to say to you half the time, Rogue. Whenever I think of somethin', I think it'll make me sound like an ass…and that's not how I want you to think of me."

"Lance, Ah don't need ya to sound smart or anythin'. Ah just want ya to be yourself."

"But what if you don't like who I really am?"

Rogue chuckled. "Ah wouldn't have come here tonight if Ah didn't like ya, silly."

"You promise?"

"Ah promise." Rogue boldly wrapped her arms around Lance's waist and snuggled against his chest. Lance felt a warm smile tug at his lips as he wrapped his own arms around her protectively. He was definitely a better person with Rogue around.

Hidden behind the side of the theater, Pietro, Fred and Toad were snickering at the sight of their fearless leader going soft for a girl.

"Yo, aren't those the Chump-Men?" Toad pointed down the line where Scott, Kurt, Kitty, Bobby, and Evan were standing in a small group.

"Well now," whistled Pietro, "this oughtta be interesting."

"Think they'll ruin Rogue's date with Lance?" questioned Fred, narrowing his eyes at the X-Men.

"Only if they see 'em. Come on, boys, let's have some fun." Pietro didn't bother to wait and see if Fred or Toad would follow as he made his way over to the enemy.

"Oh boy, like here comes trouble," said Kitty. Her friends turned just in time to see part of the Brotherhood blocking their way.

"Man, don't we ever get a break?" groaned Kurt.

Scott frowned. "Look, guys, we're just here to see a movie? We're not here to fight."

"Sure," said Pietro coldly. "Too bad we have other plans for ya."

"Buzz off, Maximoff," warned Evan dropping his skateboard to the ground and placing a foot on it.

"I'd like to, Daniels, but I'm afraid I have a schedule to keep. And you freaks are first on the list." With those words Pietro shot out a fist and hit Evan squarely in the eye. The skateboarder was momentarily stunned as he toppled to the ground.

"That's it, I'm sick and tired of this bullshit," snarled Bobby icing up. Fred cracked his knuckles and easily lifted the ice teen up, tossing him into the crowd. People shrieked and began to flee the theater area the second they saw Bobby in his ice form. Bobby groaned and barely registered the fact that Scott was now shooting red beams at Fred. Kitty screamed as Toad launched himself at Kurt and tackled the German, knocking Kitty down as well. She phased through the teens as they wrestled and looked around for someone to help her. Instead she caught sight of Lance and Rouge standing up ahead in line.

By now Rogue was beginning to notice the widespread panic taking over the people surrounding her and Lance. They had just reached the ticket booth, when the seller shut the window on them.

"What the fuck?" demanded Lance trying to see what all the commotion was about. Rogue glanced back down the line and noticed the battle going on.

"That's what!" she cried tugging at Lance's sleeve. Lance looked towards the street and groaned. This wasn't how he had planned his first date with Rogue would go.

"Goddammit!"

"Ah think the boys need some help." Rogue eyed Lance hopefully.

"Oh, they need help all right—and they're gonna need a hell of a lot more when I get through with them." Lance left Rogue's side and strode purposefully towards the street. He was pissed. Rogue shook her head and pulled out a cigarette as she leaned against the ticket booth. This wasn't her fight.

"I'm gonna teach you losers a lesson once and for all!" shouted Lance angrily. He clenched his hands into fists and let loose a tremor that sent both sides to the ground.

"That's it; I'm tired of playing fair!" Scott yelled out. He jumped to his feet and charged towards Lance, his fists flying through the air. Evan took the cue and jumped aboard his skateboard, rolling towards Pietro hurling wooden stakes left and right. Pietro barely blinked as he calmly dodged each and every stake headed his way. Meanwhile, Toad was trying not to retch as Kitty phased through him every time Kurt pushed the green boy her way. Bobby was grinning at his own creativity as he iced Fred frozen to the spot the overgrown teen stood.

Rogue frowned and puffed on her cigarette thoughtfully as she watched the battle. The X-Men seemed to have the upper hand over the Brotherhood. But judging by their tactics, it was obvious the X-Men were team players. "Someone needs to teach Lance ahn them how ta fight," she muttered to herself darkly. The only one making any progress was Pietro—and that was only due to the fact that he was faster than light. She turned her attention back to Lance and Scott as they continued to pummel each other with their fists. Lance finally was able to knock Scott to the ground, but it turned out to be a mistake. Scott took the chance to send a powerful optic blast at Lance, sending the dark haired teen flying through the air and to the ground lifelessly.

Time seemed to freeze for Rogue as she dropped her cigarette in horror. "Lance!" she screamed hoarsely, tears falling down her face. Within seconds she was at his side, as well as the rest of the Brotherhood. Lance blinked, but all he saw were black spots trying to gain control. He knew he was down for the count this time around.

"Aw man," said Pietro rubbing the back of his neck. "The X-Men never hit us hard."

"What d'ya mean?" demanded Rogue trying to keep Lance awake.

Toad flinched at the sound of her voice. "Usually we just keep each other on our toes—we don't actually try to kill 'em."

"They went too far," murmured Fred solemnly, noting the evil glint in Pietro's eyes.

"They won't get away with it," vowed Rogue hardening her face. She glanced down at Lance who was desperately trying to speak.

"Sar—bout…date…Ro…ee. Wan…ki…oo."

"Huh?" asked Pietro making a face. Rogue ignored them and leaned closer to Lance.

"Do you trust meh, sugah?" she questioned with a whisper.

" 'Cor…"

Rogue nodded in bittersweet triumph as she readied herself for what she was about to do. Lance vaguely noticed the fact that Rogue was now just inches away from his face. Without a word Rogue softly captured his lips with her own. Lance struggled to revive himself enough to return her kiss. He felt his soul open up to hers…and the last of his energy disappeared. Lance succumbed to the darkness as a strange and horrible sensation racked his body.

"What the—" Toad stepped back with Fred and Pietro as gold lines etched across Lance's body and into Rogue's. They backed away even further as Rogue slowly got to her feet. She stumbled for a second before pulling herself up straight and tall. She eyed the small X-Men group with cold eyes.

"Ah'm gonna show y'all what it's like ta mess with the Rogue," she said coolly. Rogue closed her eyes and allowed the part of Lance she had drained to take control of her mind. Rogue was barely aware of everyone around her as she struggled to summon Lance's powers. The tremor that resulted started out small, but soon it felt like an earthquake.

"Ahhh!" screeched Kitty dropping to the ground and feeling Kurt cover her body with his own. Everyone else toppled to the ground, each trying to protect themselves from the falling debris. Parts of buildings chipped away and fell to the ground—others collapsed inside out. Trees were uprooted, and cars bounced, knocking the car alarms into motion. Scott scrambled over to Bobby and pulled the blonde out of the way as the street began to open up down the middle. And then, as quickly as it had begun, the tremor came to a sudden halt.

Rogue shook her head as she gained control of her mind again would have collapsed to the ground had it not been for Pietro zipping to her side and holding her up. She didn't protest as Pietro picked her up into his arms and turned away from the X-Men. She glanced over his shoulder and smiled in relief as Fred threw Lance over his shoulder.

Toad looked back at the X-Men and stuck out his tongue before following his friends away from the disaster area. Scott and his team studied the place with sinking feelings. Car alarms still sounded through the air, as well as various chunks of earth and brick falling to the ground with the calm of the aftermath.

"Man, we are _so_ screwed," murmured Kurt as he stood to help Kitty to her feet. The petite brunette shivered and snuggled into Kurt's arms as the others got to their feet.

Scott let out a deep sigh. "C'mon, we better get back to the mansion and let the Professor know what happened."

"Great, how the hell do we tell the Professor that Rogue just joined the Brotherhood because we tried to teach her boyfriend a lesson?" Evan's voice was shrill as he trailed behind the team and over to Scott's car.

"We'll think of something," whispered Bobby half to himself.

**The X-Men Mansion:**

Professor Xavier stared out his window thoughtfully. He wasn't surprised by the news that Rogue had joined the ranks of the Brotherhood…what did surprise him was how long it had taken. She was cunning alright…and dangerous. The Professor had sent Ororo and Logan out to inspect the damaged area, and their report hadn't been good. Rogue was a quick learner. She had mastered Lance's powers better than he ever had—and that wasn't a comforting thought to Xavier.

"She's a weapon, Chuck," said Logan gruffly from his seat beside Ororo. Xavier turned to his colleagues with a serious face.

"She's also protective," replied Ororo defensively.

Logan growled. "You don't even know the kid, and here you are protecting her. Rogue is a walking time bomb. If she can do that much damage with Alvers' powers, just think what it would be like if she had someone else's—like yours. We've got problems now."

"I'm afraid Logan is right, Ororo. Rogue has proven herself a worthy opponent. What happened today cannot be easily forgotten."

"Charles, there is little we can do to prepare the students to be on guard the next time they encounter Rogue in a battle. She has a most unique power that enables her to be as strong as the one she fights. Rogue is more than a worthy opponent—"

"She's a goddamn weapon," repeated Logan. "Now I'm gonna have to train the brats how to fight their own powers."

Xavier nodded. "I'm afraid that Rogue has only begun to comprehend the extent of her gift. Mystique will use her to the advantage of the Brotherhood in our fight for peace with mankind. But I do believe that Rogue is not a lost cause. We have yet to see how loyal she is to Eric and Mystique."

Logan snorted derisively. "Ol' Tin Can is probably laughing his ass off as we speak—he's got one hell of a mutant on his side."

**The Next Morning:**

Rogue shifted in her seat beside Lance's bedside. She was still worried about him despite Mystique's assurances that the teen would be fine as soon as he woke up. She remembered it had taken Cody about a week before he came around—although this time she hadn't touched Lance as long as she had Cody.

"You betta be alright, Rocky, or Ah'm gonna kick your ass," murmured Rogue softly. The only good thing about this whole mess was the fact that the Brotherhood still accepted her as one of their own. In fact, they were in awe of her power and how little effort she took down the X-Men. They were now referring to her as a one woman army.

"Hey," grumbled Lance sleepily as he groggily opened his eyes. Rogue instantly sat forward.

"Hey yourself. You had meh worried."

"How long was I out?"

"Since yesterday. Are you alright?"

"Fine." Lance struggled to a sitting position and leaned back against the headboard of his bed. "How about you?"

Rogue shrugged nonchalantly. "Tired."

"What happened?"

"Ah kinda borrowed your powers ta get even with the X-Men."

Lance frowned as he tried to recollect the past day's events. "The kiss—was that for real?"

"Yeah. When Ah touch another mutant—like real skin contact—Ah'm able ta drain them and use their powers like they're mah own. If Ah hold ohn for too long Ah cahn kill 'em—not that Ah ever plan ohn doin' that."

"What about regular people?"

"That's ten times worse. Last regular fella Ah touched was in a coma for a week. That's why Ah don't touch people. It's why Ah'm afraid ta get close ta anyone."

Lance tugged Rogue down onto the bed and into his arms in reassurance. "Don't be. I'm not letting you go that easily. Your power is just one lame excuse for you to be the Ice Queen."

Rogue sniffed back tears of relief as she surrendered to the security she felt with Lance. "Thank-you," she whispered.

"No problem, Roguey. Oh, and just so you know, we're definitely gonna have to try that kiss again. Twenty bucks says I won't pass out next time."

"Ya got yourself a deal." Rogue smiled as Lance tightened his grip about her and the two drifted into a comfortable silence. They both knew that they were falling head over heels in love. And the feeling was one they wanted to keep forever.

**A/N—Alright, alright…I feel horrible that I haven't written in ages. I knew months ago what this chapter would be about, but I wasn't sure how to go about writing it. So I finally just made myself sit down and get it over with. So if you're a tad bit upset this one took so long, I'm extremely sorry. I'm already working on the next one so maybe I won't take so long. To all those who're still reading…thank-you, and enjoy!**


	14. Simplicity Lost

**Disclaimer—Unfortunately I don't own this stuff.**

**Chapter 13-Simplicity Lost**

The ride to school Monday morning was amusing, to say the least. In the backseat Pietro and Toad were both complaining about how much space Fred took up. Rogue and Lance were silent, but continued to trade knowing looks the entire way. Rogue rolled her eyes as Lance pulled up next to Scott's car in the parking lot. As she got out of the jeep she noticed the wary glances the members of the X-Men sent her way. At least they knew she meant business.

"Well, well, well," spoke up Pietro with a cocky smirk. "Look who made it out alive. You shoulda toppled a few buildings on 'em, Roguey. Then we wouldn't hafta stare at their sorry asses all the time."

"Fuck off, Whitey," snapped Bobby coming to face the speedster.

Pietro chuckled. "Ooo, I'm so scared."

"Leave 'em alone, Speedy," warned Rogue as Lance slipped an arm around her shoulders. "They ain't worth it."

Lance winked at Scott as he led Rogue towards school. "See ya around, Summers."

The Brotherhood followed as Bobby and Scott exchanged nervous looks. Bobby decided to speak first. "Think they're gonna do anything today?"

Scott shook his head. "Not if Rogue's running the show now. She's too smart for that."

"Like great," murmured Kitty tugging Kurt's shirt sleeve, "now we have something to look forward to."

In homeroom Rogue studied the ceiling as the school announcements were read over the air. Her mind was elsewhere. What she really wanted to do was find Caliban the first chance she got. She had an uneasy feeling growing in the pit of her stomach. The mutant, Destiny, had to be in town by now.

_I'll hunt down my seeker after school. _

Rogue momentarily shook herself back to the present only to catch Jean eyeing her carefully. Jean flushed red and glanced away, why couldn't she read Rogue's mind? The next chance she got she would have to let the Professor know about Rogue's seemingly built in mind barricades. Jean didn't trust the southern girl—especially after what she did to Scott the other night. The red head sighed to herself, wishing she had a good reason to get even with Rogue. It wasn't in her nature to hold grudges for something she hadn't been a part of—let alone carry evil thoughts and wishes. Yet, somehow, Rogue seemed to bring out the worst in her. Ever since Rogue had arrived in Bayville, Jean found herself battling a fiery beast within herself; and she highly doubted it was a green eyed monster she was fighting against. No, there was something about Rogue that irked Jean Grey—and she didn't like the feeling one bit.

Lunch came and went, as did most of the classes Rogue attended that afternoon. It was actually one of the first times she had been to any of her afternoon classes…and the teachers showed surprise through each and every roll call. Finally, Rogue's last class of the day arrived: drama. She was a bit surprised to note that she had the class with all the members of the Brotherhood and the X-Men.

_Gee, how quaint. A real family reunion._

The teacher didn't bother with roll call; instead she launched right into the basics. Apparently the class would be putting on a play in a couple of months. And of all the plays to perform, she just had to pick a Shakespearean piece. _Romeo and Juliet_.

"This is ridiculous," muttered Rogue darkly as the teacher passed out scripts of the play.

Pietro snorted as he thumbed through the pages. "How original. At least there's some killing in here. I want to be a killer."

"Yo, how 'bout somethin' not so mushy, teach?" demanded Toad scrunching his nose at his script.

The teacher smiled and pushed her thick rimmed glasses up her nose. "I want romance! I want passion! I want heart and soul and body! This play has it all!"

"Does it have an exit too?" asked Rogue getting to her feet.

"Juliet!" screeched the teacher enthusiastically, dropping her glasses to the ground.

"Excuse meh?"

"You shall play the role of a lifetime, m'dear! Juliet!"

"Ah don't act. Ah quit."

"You quit now, and I'll fail you to the principal's office!"

Rogue shrugged and was set on leaving until she felt a tug at her shirt sleeve. She glanced down and saw a warning look on Lance's face. She bent down so the dark haired teen could whisper in her ear. "Mystique won't be happy to see you in her office. That brings her too much attention from the teachers. Just play along with this old broad. Maybe she'll change her mind—she always does."

Grumbling, Rogue retook her seat beside Lance. "This is why Ah hate school."

Jean frowned as the teacher began to issue out other parts of the play. "Um, excuse me, Mrs. Moltby, shouldn't you hold auditions? That way you can see who best interprets the character on stage?"

Rogue nodded eagerly in agreement. "Jeanie's right, teach. Ah am _not _cut out for this Juliet part. Ah should be backstage or somethin'—Ah may not even be around night of the performance!"

Mrs. Moltby frowned down at both girls and turned to face Jean with an ominous look. "You shall play the nurse!"

In the end Rogue ended up as Juliet, with Scott playing the part of Romeo. Jean was the nurse, Lance was Lord Capulet, Kitty his Lady; Pietro was Tybalt, Toad was the apothecary, Fred was Friar Laurence, and Kurt was Friar John; Bobby got the part of Benvolio, while Evan ended up with Mercutio. The rest of the roles were divided up evenly between the rest of the cast, and it was needless to say that _no one_ was happy with the results.

"Tomorrow, the rehearsal begins!" announced Mrs. Moltby shrilly as the bell rang, signaling the end of the school day. Rogue was the first one out of class, searching her pockets for a cigarette with Lance hot on her heels.

"Hey, Rogue, where ya headed?" he asked as Rogue bypassed her locker and straight outside.

"There's someone Ah need ta talk to," replied Rogue sticking a cigarette in her mouth. She paused long enough to turn and face her boyfriend.

Lance frowned and rubbed the back of his neck. "Need company?"

"Nah."

"Who you gonna see?"

"A friend."

"What kind of friend?"

Rogue drew in a deep breath and narrowed her eyes. "Don't do this to meh now, Lance. Ah promise it's nothin' you should be worried 'bout. Ah ain't gonna cheat ohn you. Ah have morals, remember?"

"It's kinda hard for me to remember that when you're always disappearing," replied Lance evenly. Rogue's face darkened, but any words she was about to say were drowned out by a nearby argument.

"Kitty, it's over! I can't deal with you're pushing and needing me every second of the day! _We are through!_" shouted Kurt pushing the petite brunette away from him as gently as possible. Kitty dropped her mouth open in disbelief, and then burst into tears.

Lance glanced back to Rogue with wide eyes. There was no way he was going to push her away like Kitty had just done to Kurt. "I trust you, alright? Just, you know, call me up if you need me."

Rogue rolled her eyes and leaned upwards to give Lance a quick kiss on the lips. Lance felt the semi-familiar tug of her powers, but it vanished as Rogue quickly stepped away from him. "How 'bout Ah meet you at the mall for some food around sevenish?"

"Okay. You better be there," murmured Lance capturing Rogue in a hug. Rogue grinned and the second she was released she darted away from the school and across the street to the alley. She lit her cigarette and breathed in the smoke with a content heart. Now all she had to do was find an obscure manhole to find Caliban.

Almost an hour later Rogue finally came across a manhole with no one in sight. She hefted up the lid and quickly darted down the ladder and into the sewers. Rogue frowned and tried to squint into the darkness to see if anyone was coming her way. After a minute Rogue felt a smile tug at her lips as a soft glow bobbed towards her. Soon she was face to face with Caliban.

"Ah've been lookin' for ya, sugah."

Caliban nodded knowingly. "I was on my way to find you when I felt your presence here. The one called Destiny has arrived. Do you wish to see where she is?"

"You know the way to a girl's heart, Caliban. Lead ohn." Rogue deftly followed Caliban out of the sewers and recovered the manhole as the pale mutant pulled the hood of his grey coat over his head. They continued to travel through alleyways until they reached a part of town Rogue hadn't visited yet. The buildings here were run down with graffiti visible on every wall. Bars were instilled over windows and doorways, and no vehicles littered the streets.

"Nice place," muttered Rogue. Caliban remained silent and motioned Rogue down a darker alleyway until they came to the side of an abandoned house. Caliban crouched down beneath the broken window and motioned for Rogue to do the same. The southern teen frowned, but followed his example and waited. Caliban put a finger to his lips and then pointed up at the window before pointing to his eyes. He wanted her to be silent when she peeked through the metal bars.

Rogue nodded and slowly peered through the window and into the dim lighted room. Seated at a shabby table was a woman with short dark red hair and black sunglasses. She seemed to be meditating with her hands folded together across the table. Rogue noticed a plain walking stick beside the woman and smirked in triumph. The great Destiny was blind, how ironic of the seer. Studying the woman, Rogue wanted to know more. She wanted to speak to her; to hear about the parents who didn't want her; who they were…what they were. Rogue dropped to the ground without a sound.

"Ah'm goin' in," she murmured softly. Caliban's eyes widened with fear, but Rogue ignored him as she walked around to the front of the building. She took a deep breath and then pushed the door open. Rogue ignored the fact that it was unlocked—she simply marched over to the kitchen where Destiny was still seated.

"Ah want answers," announced Rogue loudly.

"I've been expecting you, Marie," replied Destiny motioning for Rogue to take a seat. The seer didn't stir, but Rogue eventually took a seat in the chair across from the blind woman.

"The name's Rogue."

"Of course. Your adopted parents miss you."

"Good for them."

"You shouldn't hate them Rogue. They were weak in a time of need."

Rogue snorted. "Ah thought you could see the future. Why are ya talkin' 'bout mah past?"

"Isn't that why you came?" retorted Destiny quietly.

"Ah don't give a shit 'bout Jack ahn Lena. Who were mah real parents? Ah heard you knew them pretty well."

"As well as anyone could, I guess. They do not matter, Marie. Your role in the future matters."

"Fuck you. Ah want ta know 'bout mah birth folks. Are they like meh? Are they mutants too?"

Destiny sighed. "The day is coming for you, Rogue. The day of revelations."

"Who were mah parents?"

"You and a powerful Senator share the same role. The ushering in of a new era. One that will divide the nation in half."

"Who are mah parents, Destiny? You're pissin' meh off now," hissed Rogue ignoring the blind woman's words.

"A mutant lord will be your doom; your family will be your betrayal; you can trust no one, Rogue. You alone have the power to be great."

In a flash Rogue had Destiny by the collar of her shirt and pulled her up close to Rogue's face. "Ah don't like your mumbo jumbo, sugah. That's for the swamp rats of Louisiana. So Ah'm gonna ask you nicely, _who are mah parents_?"

"Your father's face is shrouded in mystery. There is only one who knows his name," answered Destiny with a small gasp.

"Then who, pray tell, is mah mother?"

"The one they call…Mystique."

Rogue let go of Destiny and stumbled backwards without seeing. It couldn't be. Mystique, her mother? Then why not tell her? Why keep it a secret? Rogue barely glanced at Destiny as the seer drew in deep breaths of air.

"I know it is hard, Rogue, but understand this, she was trying to protect you…we never knew you would become so powerful…or so revered by the stars."

"You're crazy," whispered Rogue hoarsely. Her entire body was shaking. She needed to get out of the house—and soon. Mystique was her mother. Her _birth_ mother. Rogue needed time to comprehend this fact. With a shake of her head Rogue headed towards the doorway, but stopped in her tracks as Destiny's voice floated to her ears.

"Be careful, Rogue. The day you meet Senator Kelly will mark your doom. You will become a vessel to wipe out the human population…and you will not live to tell about it. You keep dangerous company here in Bayville, Marie. Get out while you can."

Without a word Rogue left the house and slammed the door behind her. She didn't care for Destiny's words. She didn't believe in that kind of stuff. Caliban was waiting for Rogue at the end of the alleyway. No words were exchanged as he pulled her into a fatherly embrace. It was then that Rogue broke down into tears.

Rogue was Mystique's daughter.

**A/N—This took some serious thinking in how I wanted to display this chapter…but I'm satisfied with the results. I hope you guys enjoy, and I should have the next chapter up in a couple of days. **


	15. Twisted Fate

**Disclaimer—I have no rights whatsoever over this stuff.**

**14—Twisted Fate**

"Ah don't get why she didn't jus' say she was mah mother," sniffed Rogue as she wiped the tears out of her eyes.

Caliban sighed. "Mystique is unlike any being I have ever known. She was once a Morlock; she couldn't control her powers and so she hid with us for many years. Then she met Magneto. I sensed danger from the very beginning, but there was nothing I could say to prevent her from joining his ranks.

"It was many years before she returned to us. By then Mystique had become pregnant from a lover she had picked up off the side of the road. She was afraid of what Magneto would say. One cannot follow the Dark One's plans and raise a child at the same time. And so she came to us seeking aid, protection.

"I sensed right away how different you were. A child born is innocent in every way. Your powers were dormant…perhaps because of your father."

"Do ya know who he was?" whispered Rogue. She leaned against the cement wall of the sewer, not caring what was there. A little bit of slime would hardly hurt her now…now that she was trying to piece together her life.

"No. Mystique is the only one who knows. I doubt even Magneto knows you are her daughter. It is hard to distinguish a connection when you two look nothing alike."

"Great," snorted Rogue, "so now what do Ah do?"

"It is all up to you, Rogue. What do you _think _you should do?" returned Caliban evasively. The teen girl frowned and looked at the manhole above her. There were so many questions that she wanted answered, but she knew Mystique would ignore them. The older mutant had given Rogue up for a reason…and that reason was Magneto and his mission. And unfortunately for Rogue, she was bound up in the same world as her mother.

"Ah cahn't let her know Ah know the truth. She doesn't want ta be a mother."

"One day you will be able to set things straight."

Rogue nodded absently. "Mystique has another kid out there."

"I suspected as much."

"She said it was a boy. Ah wonder if he's alone like meh."

"Perhaps you should search for him," suggested Caliban. Rogue frowned and then stood up.

"Maybe. Ah dunno, Ah'll think about it. Ah'd better get goin', Ah'm supposed to meet Lance for dinner. Thanks for taking meh to Destiny, Caliban. You're a real pal, sugah."

Caliban smiled briefly. Rogue watched as he drifted off into the darkness of the sewers. With another sigh, Rogue pulled herself up the ladder and out of the manhole. She discreetly stepped out onto the sidewalk and inspected herself in the fading daylight.

"It'll do," she muttered to herself as she continued down the walkway and towards the mall.

**The Mall:**

Jean stifled a yawn as she watched Kitty browse through a shirt rack. They had been shopping for the last three and a half hours. Kitty was hurting from her recent break-up with Kurt, and Jean was the only one willing enough to deal with it. Of course, that meant shopping until Kitty decided to perk up again.

"Whaddya think of this one?" asked Kitty holding up a pink shirt that looked remarkably similar to the one she already had on.

"Nice. I like it," answered Jean with a bright smile. Kitty grinned and disappeared in the direction of the dressing room.

_I can definitely feel a headache coming on. The Professor needs to get some more female recruits so I don't have to keep cheering Kitty up every time something tragic happens._

Jean stepped outside of the department store and studied the few people walking around. Not too many people ventured to the mall after six—something to do with the fear of being attacked by mutants in the dark. Toying with a strand of her hair, Jean allowed herself to skim the minds of the people walking by. Most seemed to have nothing on their minds other than school, the latest music concert, or their latest crush. In the midst of her skimming Jean came across a startling thought from someone in the mall.

_It cahn't be! It cahn't be! Why didn't she tell meh? Why—_

The thought broke off suddenly and Jean felt a chill go down her spine. Directly across the way from her stood Rogue. And by the look on her face she knew Jean had been listening in. Jean's face paled as Rogue began to walk her way.

"You think Ah don't know about your powers, Jeanie?" hissed Rogue angrily as she came to stand in front of the red head.

"I'm sorry Rogue, I didn't mean to. It just happened." Jean was frantically trying to figure out how Rogue had known she was in her mind. Normally she was careful at not being detected.

"Fuck you. Look, Jeanie, Ah ain't in the mood to mess around, alright? But if Ah feel you in mah head again, Ah swear to God Ah'll make you sorry."

Jean hardened her face. Deep within she could feel her anger overflow like a volcano. "I said I was sorry. It's not my fault that you're so upset you can't control your thoughts!"

"Ah thought you and the other freaks played by the rules. You only use your powers for emergencies. So, tell me, Jeanie, what's the emergency? Cahn't find your lame ass boyfriend?"

"Fuck you," snapped Jean. Rogue smiled mischievously. It wasn't like the red head to snap like that.

"Am Ah pissin' you off? That's a first, isn't it? All Ah've seen you do is cry and call for help. Ah didn't think you had it in you. Well, Ah guess you're just full of surprises, sugah." Rogue smirked and turned to walk away. But Jean's next words stopped her cold in her tracks.

"No one will ever accept you, Rogue. You're not like us…you're different. Mutants will fear you, the Morlocks will shun you…you're a danger to everyone around you. It's hard for me to believe that Mystique actually thinks you can fit in with the Brotherhood. Magneto pulls all the strings; he'll only keep you for so long…you're a weapon, and only a weapon. No one cares about the soul inside."

Rogue gritted her teeth as the words hit home. Jean was dangerously close to the truth. Mystique was her birth mother, but she had chosen to keep that a secret—which meant only one thing, she wasn't planning on keeping Rogue around long enough to bond.

Magneto may be her boss, but deep down Rogue knew he and Mystique had another trick up their sleeves. How else could she explain how Mystique had gotten to her first in New Orleans?

Rogue stared down at her gloved hands and clenched them into fists. In the flick of an eye she whirled around and slammed a fist into Jean's face, knocking the red head to the ground. Rogue reached down and grabbed Jean by the scruff of her shirt and pulled the other teen close enough to whisper in her ear.

"What makes ya think Ah got a soul, Jeanie? Ah suck the souls outta people like you. That's mah job. Maybe Ah am a weapon, but at least Ah'll be able to protect mahself from the world. Mutants will never be accepted. Y'all think there cahn be peace…but as soon as they find out who you are you're gonna be ohn a one way trip to a lab ta be tested. They'll have to kill meh first…and Ah promise, there won't be much to test in the end. So Ah don't give a damn if no one trusts meh. Ah wouldn't trust meh if Ah were them." Rogue dropped Jean back to the ground and smiled at the fast forming black eye. That would take care of the mind reader for a while. Jean wouldn't dare snoop in her mind again.

"Like, omigod! Jean!" screeched Kitty pushing through a growing crowd to kneel next to her friend. "What happened?"

"Nothing," grumbled Jean fingering her bruised eye. She glanced up at Rogue darkly. "I don't get you."

"Ah didn't ask ya to. Keep it that way, Jeanie, it's for the best."

"Jean!" The three mutants turned in time to see Scott shoving his way towards the red head. He helped Jean get to her feet and looked over at Rogue.

"Why?" he asked simply.

Rogue shrugged. "Because life ain't as easy as you think it is."

"What the hell happened to her?" demanded Lance appearing at Rogue's side.

"She got in the way of mah fist."

"No shit." Lance turned to Scott with a grin. "I dunno, Summers, looks like you won't be able to even the score this time around. Not unless you wanna mess with Rogue."

Scott made a face, but he didn't say a word. There was nothing he could do…not with so many bystanders around.

Kitty glared at Rogue and turned to Lance pleadingly. "Why can't you like tell your girlfriend to back off? Lance, you're like so much better than her. You could do so much better. Why her?"

"Maybe I want her to kick Summers' ass," replied Lance cockily.

"I don't know why you guys have to be so mean. It's not like we ever did anything to you." Kitty broke into a fresh set of tears as Jean pulled her into a hug. Lance rubbed the back of his neck guiltily. Rogue noticed this and bit her tongue from lashing out. There was something here that she didn't know about, and she wasn't too sure she wanted to know.

"Ah, Kitty. Grow up, would you?" The crowd began to disperse and Rogue and Lance were finally able to retreat outside the mall.

"What was that back there?" asked Rogue casually as she pulled a cigarette out of her pocket.

"What was what?"

"With the girl."

"Who, Kitty?"

Rogue nodded and lit her cigarette. Lance frowned as he tried to come up with an answer that wouldn't get him beat up. "Ah'm waitin'," murmured Rogue.

"Look, Kitty and I used to go to school together in Chicago. I had a thing for her then, but she was always being so damn snotty. She thought she was better than me, you know? So after Xavier took her, I kinda went my own way with Mystique. The X-Men thought I was some kind of dipshit 'cause I used my powers when I was angry. Kitty just thinks she knows me…like we were something back then. But we weren't, I swear. Don't tell me you're jealous. Are you?" Lance seemed to brighten at the thought, causing Rogue to chuckle.

"No, but little Miss Kitty seems to think you'll listen ta her. You won't, will you?" returned Rogue.

"Nah. It's not really my thing to settle down like that."

"Good. Ah don't think Ah could date ya if you did." Rogue put out her cigarette and let Lance pull her into his arms.

"Good, now that that's taken care of, how about some food?"

**The Next Day:**

Rogue was leaning against her locker the next morning, waiting. Her locker was directly across from Kitty's, and she had a thing or two to say to the petite brunette. She trusted Lance, but she was a trifle concerned about Kitty. She had a feeling the younger girl was going to try and hurt the blue fur ball for dumping her so harshly. And Rogue had an even deeper feeling that Lance would somehow be the perfect guy to use in this little game.

The second Kitty was opening her locker, Rogue was shutting it. Kitty looked at the southern girl with fear in her eyes. "Like, what do you want?"

"Ah want nothing but cooperation, sugah. Stay away from Lance."

"Huh?"

"You heard me. Ah know he had a thing for you once upon a time, but that's ancient history. Just 'cause you got dumped by the German doesn't give you the right to try ahn claim some hold on mah boyfriend, got it?"

Kitty blanched, but tried to stand her ground. "I don't like Lance in that way."

Rogue raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "Sure, sugah, ahn Ah'm the Easter Bunny. Stop with the act, Kitty. Ah ain't in a forgivin' mood this week. We both know Ah could take ya down…so don't mess with meh, okay? You stay away from Lance, ahn Ah'll let you live. Got it?"

"Yeah, I got it," answered Kitty meekly. Rogue smiled and patted Kitty on the head before disappearing down the crowded hallway. Kitty slumped against her locker with a determined look on her face. She was tired of getting pushed around. She watched with mixed emotions as Lance passed by with Pietro. "I got it, Rogue. I won't do anything you'll hear about."

Rogue was halfway to homeroom when she felt a familiar buzz on her hip. With a frustrated sigh she cut down another hallway and out a side door. She hurried across the street to the payphone as the school bell rang.

"This had betta be good," she muttered darkly punching in the number.

"Aw, Rogue, how good of you to call." Magneto seemed to be smiling in triumph on the other end of the phone. Rogue growled.

"Whaddya want?"

"After school I need you to pick Sabertooth up at the gas station outside of town. Together the two of you will return to the laboratory on the hill to pick up something up for me."

"It's not another mutant, is it?" asked Rogue warily.

"No. It's a computer program…one essential to my needs."

"Cahn't Whiskers go ohn his own?"

Magneto chuckled. "You will be picking up the disk, Rogue; Sabertooth is merely keeping watch in case the X-Men show up."

"Ooo, lucky meh. Fine. Ah'll pick the giant fur ball after school." Rogue hung up the phone and headed back to school in a sour mood. This was all she needed. More time with an overgrown cat.

"Ah'm really beginning to hate felines," she grumbled as she passed Kitty's locker. "A lot."

After school Rogue walked towards the parking lot with Lance, begging the entire way for his car keys.

"Please?" Rogue snuggled in his arms. "Ah won't let anything happen to it!"

"Yeah, but how the hell am I supposed to get home?" Lance looked down at Rogue who rolled her eyes.

"You walk like every other person here does. One day won't kill ya, Lance."

"We'll see about that."

"Does that mean Ah cahn borrow the jeep?"

"Alright, but don't let anything happen to it!" warned Lance handing over the keys. Rogue gave him a quick kiss on the lips before hopping into the jeep. She started it up and backed out of the parking spot before he could say another word. Lance watched as Rogue and his jeep drove out of sight.

"Hey, Lance," said Kitty coming to stand beside him.

"Hey, Kitty," replied Lance with little enthusiasm. He was still wondering whether or not it had been a good idea to let Rogue drive his jeep.

"Lance, can we like talk for a sec? I need to ask you for some help."

"Sure." Lance nodded and turned to follow Kitty down the sidewalk.

**At The Laboratory:**

Rogue tried to ignore the bad feeling in the pit of her stomach as she waited for Sabertooth to unlock the door with his claw. She heard it click open and the two entered a small gray room with a single large computer.

"This is it," grumbled Sabertooth gruffly. "Magneto says the program is on that computer, you just need to download it onto this thing."

"Sure, easy as pie." Rogue took the offered CD and stepped over to the computer. She popped the CD in and took a seat in the leather chair. With a soft sigh she opened the desktop and began searching for the program Magneto wanted. Sabertooth had said it was called the Gene Disorder Project. After a couple of seconds she found the file she was looking for. Rogue opened it up and began the downloading process.

"Almost done?" growled Sabertooth.

"A couple more minutes, why?"

"We got company."

Rogue turned her head sharply to look at the older mutant as he sniffed the air. His growl deepened. "Wolverine. And another."

"Oh boy," murmured Rogue glancing back at the computer. "Not good, we still have five more minutes."

"Then we'll just have to stall them."

"We?" Rogue made a face but didn't protest as Sabertooth jerked her by the arm and shut the door behind them. The two didn't walk far down the hall when they came across the mutant called Wolverine and a woman with white hair.

Wolverine was the first to speak. "Look, Storm, I found the rats."

"Go easy on the child," warned the woman. Rogue gulped as Wolverine's claws slid out of his knuckles.

"I don't want the kid, I want big and ugly." Wolverine launched himself at Sabertooth and the two mutants tumbled down the hallway. Rogue dodged out of the way and turned to face Storm. The dark woman eyed Rogue carefully.

"I don't believe you mean any harm, child. What is it you have come for?" Storm inched closer to Rogue and continued to speak softly. "I won't hurt you, Rogue. I want to help you. Don't fall into the arms of evil. Come with me and we'll help you."

Rogue narrowed her eyes. "Ah wouldn't come any closer if Ah was you, lady. Ah ain't in a good mood."

"Rogue, I want to help you. We all do. You will be much safer with us rather than Mystique. You can't trust her, Rogue."

"Ya know, Ah think Ah'm gettin' tired of hearin' that from everyone." Rogue grabbed Storm's outstretched arm and slammed the woman into the wall. Storm struggled to free herself, but Rogue only pressed her harder against the wall.

"I didn't want to do this," gasped Storm. Her eyes clouded over to a filmy white; Rogue gritted her teeth as a powerful gust of wind swept through a window and down the hall. Rogue let go of Storm and took a few steps backwards trying to shield herself from the wind. Storm staggered to a standing position, but Rogue was already hurtling herself against the older mutant and knocking her to the ground. The fall momentarily stunned Storm, enabling Rogue to slip off her gloves.

"Ah told ya Ah wasn't in the mood." Rogue quickly placed a hand on Storm's cheek long enough for the familiar gold lines to etch throughout their bodies. Storm's eyes widened, and only when she fainted did Rogue let go. Rogue shook her head as part of Storm tried to gain control of her mind. She stumbled down the hallway where Sabertooth was still fighting against Wolverine.

"This damn program betta be worth it," mumbled Rogue to herself as she slipped behind Wolverine. The X-Man turned to hit her, but Rogue already had a hand on the back of his neck. Within minutes he was on the ground in a heap. Rogue closed her eyes and dropped to her knees.

"You alright?" asked Sabertooth in what seemed to be genuine concern.

"The program should…be ready…sugah." Rogue didn't move from her spot as she fought for consciousness. She wasn't used to draining more than one person in a day…and right now she was struggling to keep control of her own mind. Sabertooth disappeared down the hallway and returned with the CD in his hands. He handed it to Rogue and picked her up in his arms to leave.

"You tell anyone 'bout this, ahn Ah'll beat ya," threatened Rogue as she allowed herself to drift into the blackness. The last thing she could remember was Sabertooth growling in agreement.

**A/N—This chapter took longer than I expected…and school starts up tomorrow. So, I figured I owed you guys a longer chapter than usual. I keep getting questions about Gambit, and yes, he is coming, but not yet. Trust me, I'm a big fan of him and Rogue…but he still has awhile before he shows up. Just bear with me. I have outlined the next few chapters…it's only a matter of my finding the time to write them. I'll try harder this week. Thanks for being patient, and enjoy!**


	16. Fireworks

**Disclaimer—I have no rights over these characters etc. **

**Chapter 15-Fireworks**

"Yo, I think we should take a short cut through the park," said Toad. Rogue glanced up from the cigarette she was lighting to eye Toad and Fred squarely in the eyes. They had been forced to walk home today because a certain Lance Alvers had gotten after school detention; and Pietro claimed to have a hot date with a cheerleader.

"I guess," replied Fred running a hand through his blonde Mohawk. Rogue nodded in agreement and proceeded to follow her companions. It had been a couple of days since her run in with Wolverine and Storm, and now the X-Men seemed to avoid her at all costs. Which was something to be thankful for in Rogue's case; now she didn't have to worry about all the preaching those kids did. She was officially the enemy.

"How long till we get there?" asked Fred after a while. "I'm hungry."

"Walkin' does ya good, sugah," murmured Rogue as she flicked the cigarette butt to the ground.

"Easy for you to say, Roguey. Freddy's always hungry," called out Toad as he caught a couple of flies. The trio continued walking until they came across a girl sitting on a bench. Her long black hair hid her face, but judging by her shaking body the girl was crying. Fred stopped in indecision. Toad and Rogue watched him to see what he would do.

"Something wrong?" he demanded gruffly. The girl looked up and shrank as far back as she could on the bench.

"I…I…I'm lost!" she sobbed.

"Ya gotta be kiddin' meh," groaned Rogue making a face.

Toad chuckled. "Who the hell can get lost in Bayville? It ain't _that_ big."

"I'm not from here!" snapped the Asian girl defensively.

"No kiddin'." Rogue rolled her eyes. "Where ya headed?"

"Um…" The girl pulled a scrap of paper out of her pocket. "Xavier's Home for Gifted Children?"

Fred, Toad and Rogue exchanged looks. Sitting in front of them was a wannabe X-Freak. Chuckling darkly, Fred cracked his knuckles. "Looks like we got a new toy."

"Yo, I've always wanted to pick on an X-Geek."

"She ain't one of them yet," pointed out Rogue with a smirk.

"Well then, maybe we should give her a warm welcome. Kinda like I got when I first got here." Fred turned to look at the girl and set about picking the bench up off the ground.

"What are doing?" shrieked the girl tearfully. "Put me down! Who are you people?"

"Your worst nightmare, sugah," answered Rogue as Toad jumped up onto the bench beside the girl.

"We're the Brotherhood of Mutants—you don't want to mess with us," added Toad sticking his tongue out at the terrified teen. He gave her a wink and then hocked a blob of green plasma-like goo into her face, knocking the Asian off the bench and onto the ground hard. Fred roared in triumph and tossed the bench aside, breaking it into a million pieces.

Rogue chuckled and came to stand beside the girl's body. "Welcome to Bayville, hope ya like your stay."

"Leave me alone," whispered the girl, her eyes flashing dangerously.

"You didn't say please," warned Fred.

"Sorry, that isn't part of my vocabulary!" With those words the girl shot forth a stream of sparkling energy that hit Fred in the gut, sending him flying into a tree. The teen scrambled to her feet and shot another jet of sparks at Toad, barely missing the reptilian mutant as he jumped out of the way.

"Well, now," murmured Rogue to herself. "This is somethin' different. Too bad Ah ain't impressed."

"The name's Jubilee, don't mess with me!" shouted the girl angrily.

"And mah name is Rogue, don't taunt meh." Rogue neatly demonstrated her skills with a powerful roundhouse kick to the girl's legs, knocking her off her feet. Jubilee was taken by surprise, and her shower of sparks flew into thin air.

"Please…" begged Jubilee clutching Rogue's ankle as the southern girl pushed down on her throat. Rogue raised an eyebrow while pulling off a single glove. In silence she bent down and placed a cold hand on Jubilee's face. Jubilee's eyes widened as she felt herself be drained.

"Stop that!" cried out a male voice. Rogue let go of Jubilee without knocking her unconscious to see who had issued the warning. Standing a ways down the path were Evan and Bobby.

"We've got company, boys," said Rogue standing tall and pulling her glove back on. Fred grunted as he and Toad came to stand beside Rogue. Evan and Bobby hurried towards the Brotherhood trio, stopping a few feet away.

"Leave the girl alone," warned Evan harshly. Rogue peered down at Jubilee who was struggling onto her hands and knees.

"Ah don't think she's gonna be much help," acknowledged Rogue carefully.

"Man, you really are something, aren't you?" hissed Bobby shaking his head. Rogue shrugged.

"Get lost, freak-o's," growled Fred flexing his arms. Toad snorted as Evan produced a stake from his arm.

"Make us," he returned. Rogue put her hands out to stop her comrades from rushing the two X-Men.

"Ladies first." Rogue put out her hands and shot a sizzling ball of sparks at Evan, breaking his spike in half. "Compliments of little Jubilee." Rogue motioned to the ground where Jubilee was staring at Rogue in a mixture of horror and disbelief.

"Why are you like this, Rogue? I thought you weren't taking sides," said Bobby hoarsely.

"Ah wasn't plannin' ohn it, but you ahn your friends don't play nice, Bobby. Hurt someone Ah care for, ahn Ah promise you'll pay. That's how Ah work."

"We're your friends, too!"

"Really?" Rogue shook her head. "Ah don't believe ya. See, from what Ah cahn recall, y'all tried to hurt Fred. He was innocent. But ya tried to hurt him anyway. Is that what friends do? 'Cause if so, Ah'm better off without ya as a friend."

Bobby took a couple of steps closer to Rogue so there were standing face to face. His voice can become soft and coaxing in desperation to convince Rogue he was telling the truth. "Rogue, I meant it that night when you walked me back to the mansion. I really am here for you. Just because we're on opposite sides doesn't mean I don't know what it's like to be a mutant."

Rogue sighed. Bobby was being sincere, she knew that. But she was still afraid. It wasn't as though she had endeared herself to the X-Men the last couple of days. They would never accept her for who she was. Jean had been nice enough to point that out to her at the mall. "Look here, Popsicle, Ah like things the way they are. You have it easy, you cahn hide your powers…meh, Ah cahn't hide who Ah am. Ahn there's a lot you don't know about meh. Ah'm not the person you want meh ta be, Bobby."

"You only have to be yourself, Rogue, that's enough for me. That's how it's been since we first met."

"Ah know ahn that's sweet, but…" Rogue bit her tongue as she contemplated telling Bobby the truth. "There's somethin' ya need to know, Bobby. 'Bout why Ah'm with the Brotherhood, see, Mystique—" Rogue never got any further, because out of nowhere Lance came flying and Bobby was thrown to the ground with a powerful punch. Rogue stared with her mouth wide open as Jubilee began screaming at the sight. The Asian got to her feet and dashed over to Evan as Bobby put a hand to his bleeding lip.

"Stay the fuck away from my girlfriend, Drake!" ordered Lance menacingly.

"Yeah, no problem, Lance. It's not like she was listening anyway." Bobby didn't move a muscle as Lance eyed him warily. Rogue was furious.

"What the hell is your problem?" she demanded. "Ah cahn take care of mahself!"

"Yeah, well it didn't look like you were gonna stop him from kissing you!" retorted Lance evenly. Fred and Toad sucked in breaths of air, taking steps back from the feuding couple standing over Bobby.

"Excuse meh? Is that what ya think was goin' ohn? Lance, Ah told ya not ta worry. Ah have morals, remember? Ah like you, not the Popsicle!"

"Oh really?" Lance didn't wait for a reply as he yanked Rogue by the arm and pushed her down the pathway to be out of hearing distance. He pushed her away from him in disgust. "You know, it was one thing to cozy up to Summers, but with Bobby Drake? That's real low, Rogue."

"You think Ah'm gonna cheat ohn you? Ah'd never do that, Lance. Ya gotta learn that real relationships are based ohn trust ahn honesty! Ah like ya, Lance, but Ah ain't gonna stand for this bullshit you're tryin' ta pull."

"Me? Me! Fuck you, Rogue! I'm sick of _your_ bullshit! Always disappearing for hours at a time! What the hell do you take me for? A chump? If you're gonna be my girl you gotta learn to live by my rules!"

Rogue cocked her head dangerously. "Oh really, sugah? Ya think Ah follow the rules? You should know meh better by now. Ah ain't anyone's property. Ah _chose_ to date ya, not be your own personal slave, ahn if this is how you're gonna treat meh, then maybe we don't have so much in common as Ah thought."

"Is that how it's gonna be?" Lance cracked his fingers, fuming. He was tired of Rogue playing around. He didn't like the idea of settling down. Not even for Rogue.

"Yeah, so what's your move, Lance? You gonna be an asshole, or you gonna trust meh?" Rogue lowered her voice and waited. She loved Lance, but she wasn't going to stand for his petty jealousy over every little thing.

"I think I'll stick with being an asshole—at least that way I ain't gettin' two-timed by some bitch," he spat out. Lance pushed past Rogue and stalked down the path, back to where his jeep was waiting. Rogue watched him get in the jeep and drive away, tears streaming down her face. She turned around to watch as Jubilee and Evan were helping Bobby to his feet.

"Ya god-damn, son-of-a-bitch!" she shrieked heading towards the blonde X-Men. Bobby was too shocked to move as Rogue hit him in the gut. "Ah hate you! Ah hate you!"

"What the hell?" questioned Evan as Toad and Fred pulled Rogue away.

"What the hell? Ah just lost the most important person in mah life 'cause the Popsicle couldn't stay away from meh!"

"I'm sorry," murmured Bobby. He had no idea Lance would dump her for something so trivial, or that Rogue would freak out.

The southern girl shook her head. "Ah'm gonna make ya pay for this, Bobby. You just wait ahn see." With those words she freed herself from Fred's arms and continued down the path and towards the boarding house. Fred and Toad ignored the X-Men as they ran after their hurting friend.

_Man, I've screwed up big time, _thought Bobby as he fingered his face once more.

**The Movie Theater:**

Lance shifted from one foot to the other impatiently. He already had the tickets, but his date was late. He was still pissed about Rogue. Mainly, he was pissed at himself for falling for her. How had he been so stupid to think Rogue would be loyal to him? She had dated Summers, hadn't she? If he wanted a loyal girlfriend, then he needed someone who wasn't part of the Brotherhood. Someone like…

"Kitty! What took you so long?" asked Lance as the petite brunette finally joined him.

"Like, sorry, Bobby and Evan brought in some new girl, and I had like this horrible time trying to sneak away." Kitty beamed up at Lance triumphantly. Apparently he had decided to take her up on her offer and hang out.

"Whatever. C'mon, let's go." Lance slung an arm around Kitty's shoulder and led her into the theater. Yet, even as the movie started, his mind was still on Rogue.

**At the Boardinghouse:**

Rogue sniffed again and gratefully took the offered Kleenex box from Pietro. Fred and Toad had filled in the speedster to the events of the day, and they were all trying to help Rogue cope with the sudden break-up.

"Aw, Roguey, don't let it get you down. Lance is no good," murmured Pietro soothingly. "He's a hard ass, forget him. Look at it this way, now you can kick his ass if he tries to hurt me."

"Sure," mumbled Rogue wiping more tears away. Pietro sighed.

"Look, I ain't the best of friends with Lance, but…he'll calm down, and you guys'll make up. Trust me, the guy's nuts for you. He tried to kill me in your name on more than one occasion, ain't that right, Toad?"

Toad nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, Lance thinks of you as some kind of princess. Just without a crown…and a castle…"

Pietro interrupted, "Point is, Lance is gonna come back here and try to beg for your forgiveness."

"You sure?" hiccupped Rogue with a shimmer of hope in her green eyes. Fred nodded along with his other two comrades. Rogue sighed and brought her legs up against her chest as she snuggled into the couch cushions. "Thanks, fellas; y'all know how ta make a girl feel better."

The boys breathed in relief, and one by one drifted off to their respective bedrooms. It was close to ten that evening when Rogue heard Lance pull up in his jeep. Outside Lance was pacing on the front porch, trying to decide his next move. Technically, he hadn't cheated on Rogue since they had been officially broken-up during his date with Kitty, but all in all, he still felt miserable about the whole ordeal. Of course, that might have had something to do with the fact that Kitty had gossiped a mile a minute about the new girl, Jubilee. The second Kitty said that Jubilee seemed to be attached to Bobby for saving her from the crazy mutant girl; Lance had known something was fishy. And his fears were confirmed when Kitty told him Rogue had tried to attack Bobby for ruining her life.

And so now here he was, the great Lance Alvers, pacing back and forth across the front porch with some daisies in his hands. He had hurt Rogue in the worst possible way today. He'd understand if she never wanted to see him again. Lance was beginning to feel that way himself.

"Well, here goes," he muttered to himself turning towards the front door. He stopped still upon seeing Rogue leaning against the doorframe. Her face was drawn, and he instantly knew she had been crying all evening.

"You plannin' ohn making a hole in the porch?" asked Rogue with a strained voice. Lance gulped.

"Rogue." He held out the flowers. Rogue took them, but no smile graced her face. She walked over to the porch swing and sat down staring at the daisies. Lance ran a hand over his face. He was screwed.

"Ya hurt meh today, worse than any battle with the X-Men," she murmured softly.

"I…I had no right to lash out like that. You didn't deserve it—I was wrong, Rogue. I'm sorry. I…I was just so damn angry. And scared."

"Of what?"

"Losing you. It's all Summers' fault, if you hadn't dated him, I wouldn't be so paranoid."

Rogue allowed herself a small smile. Lance took that as an invitation to sit beside her on the swing. "Ya got some major kissin' up to do."

"I know. I…I've never felt this way about a girl before, Rogue. You're hard to understand. And…I just figure one day I'm gonna wake up and you won't be there. Like you were some kinda dream…a really good one." Lance chuckled to himself and leaned back to stare out at the stars.

"Ah ain't goin' anywhere unless you make meh, Lance. That's what Ah've been tryin' ta say since Ah got here. Ah care for ya, a lot. All Ah want is your trust…is that so much ta ask for?" returned Rogue quietly. Lance turned to peer into Rogue's eyes to answer.

"No. I'm an asshole, you were right about that, but I don't want to be like that. Forgive me?"

Rogue thought for a moment as she stared into his eyes. For an answer she leaned down and softly kissed him on the lips. "You know Ah will."

"Thank god, if Mystique had found out about this there would have been nothing to forgive later on," teased Lance before leaning forward to get another kiss. Rogue giggled and pulled away, allowing Lance to pull her into his arms. They would get through this; it was just one rocky hill in their relationship. And Lance was determined not to hit another one.

**On The Other Side of Town:**

Sabertooth growled to himself as he sharpened his claws in the alley. He had been there for almost an hour now, waiting.

"What news do you bring?" hissed a voice coming from the darkness.

"The girl is fine. She is learning more about herself every day. What the hell do you want me to say? I don't always see her. I hate kids," returned Sabertooth darkly. He didn't bother to look into the shadows; he could feel the anger seeping off the figure standing there.

"She is a pivotal role for the future. Your job is to watch her like a hawk. Let nothing happen to her in Bayville."

"The plan was never for Bayville. We'll be moving out soon."

"Need I remind you, Sabertooth, who holds the key to your past? With one word I can grant you the memories you are missing…but until then you are _mine_."

Sabertooth bared his fangs at the figure threateningly. "I'm tired of these games! I have a job to do! The girl is needed to finish the job!"

"Magneto's dreams are of no use to me. I need that girl alive, do you hear me?" A strong arm reached out and grasped Sabertooth by the neck, lifting the mutant off the ground. Another growl reverberated through the beast's body until he was back on the ground.

"What do you want me to do? I ain't a god-damn baby-sitter!"

"Whatever the cost, Sabertooth, the Chosen One must live past the New Year. I have another year before my plans can fall into motion. Do you understand? If Magneto kills her off in his machine, then all will be lost…and you will cease to exist."

"I understand, Lord Sinister. The girl will live…I'll make sure of it," replied Sabertooth gruffly, his dark eyes flashing in the moonlight.

"Then all is not lost."

**A/N—Sometimes I surprise even myself when I'm writing. It's a bit hard trying to keep all these affiliations straight, but in the end, it will definitely be worth it. I hope you guys like this latest twist! I must say I'm growing to really like Lance and Rogue together…which makes everything so much harder in the future. Ah well, enjoy until I get the next chapter out!**


	17. Nerves

**Disclaimers—As you all know, I don't own anything here.**

**16—Nerves **

Rogue made her way down the stairs and into the kitchen as unobtrusively as possible. Mystique was in a bad mood upstairs. She had been on the phone for the last half hour, and all that could be heard on her end was lots and lots of screaming.

"Think she ever heard of a muzzle?" quipped Pietro hunching down to eat his bowl of cereal.

"She's gonna take it out on us later," said Lance shaking his head. "She always gets cranky after talking to your dumb ass dad."

"Fuck you." Pietro and Lance traded glares for a few minutes, and then looked away. Neither one was looking for a fight. Not on a Friday morning.

"How long is she gonna be ohn the phone?" asked Rogue wearily.

"Shouldn't be much longer," replied Toad picking his head up off the table sleepily. Fred snorted and poured himself another bowl of cereal. Rogue opened her mouth to ask another question when she noticed how quiet the house was. Her housemates looked up as well; it seemed Mystique had finally finished her phone call.

Seconds later the blue shape shifter appeared in the kitchen doorway. "Eating breakfast? That's a first," she sneered making her way to the coffee pot. She picked it up and sniffed it suspiciously before tossing it into the sink. "Who the hell made coffee this morning?"

All three boys looked at one another and shrugged. "I made some yesterday," murmured Toad.

"Next time don't forget to clean it out too. Damn teenagers. I don't know why I put up with you half the time."

Rogue studied Mystique without speaking. She still hadn't decided when to talk to the woman about the truth of her maternity. At this point Rogue wasn't sure she wanted to talk about it. She had a bad feeling things would get worse if she pushed Mystique for answers.

Lance spoke up instead. "Don't be such a bitch, Mystique. Can't you lay off us for one day? It's a god-damn Friday for crying out loud!"

Mystique narrowed her eyes. "Don't push me Alvers, I'll tear you apart today. Look, you boys will be on your own tonight. I have some business to attend to today. There's a rally supporting the Mutant Registration Act in New York City. I'm going to check it out and see how serious this Senator _really _is."

"Sounds like fun," smirked Rogue.

"Good, because you'll be going along."

"Huh?" Rogue shook her head in protest. "No way, Ah'm a walking curse, there are goin' ta be too many people there. Ah might touch someone."

"Don't put Rogue in danger. 'Sides, she's got some drama rehearsing to do," argued Lance feebly.

Mystique scowled at all of her charges equally. Taking a deep breath she continued, "Don't think I haven't heard about what happened the other night between you two. You were an asshole, Lance; I think Rogue deserves a day off."

"At a convention where everyone attending hates mutants? Yeah, sounds like a real treat," chuckled Pietro.

"She'll be safe. I'll make sure of it. Many mutants will be there to see what kind of argument this guy can draw up against them. He's all bark and no bite. He won't harm a soul at the convention, the man _fears_ what some of the mutants can do to him."

"Sounds like something the geekoids would go to," groaned Rogue. "Why cahn't ya take meh to the zoo or somethin' instead? Ah don't give a damn about politics."

"You're going and that's final. Now, go get in the car," ordered Mystique sharply. Rogue sighed, but decided not to argue. Mystique was already pissed, anything else would set her into a fighting mood, and Rogue didn't feel like fighting today. The southern girl gave Lance a quick kiss good-bye and followed her guardian out the front door. It was going to be a very long day.

**The Mutant Registration Act Convention:**

"Tell me again why we're here, Chuck?" growled Logan as more people jostled past him to get closer to the speaking senator.

"Senator Kelly is one of the foremost backers of the Mutant Registration Act. He believes that all mutants, regardless of their innocence, deserve to be locked up, away from the public. I believe watching him in action will enable us to better counteract any potential strings he has up his sleeve," answered Xavier calmly.

"Wanna say that in English?"

Jean giggled. "All he means, Logan, is that if Senator Kelly is really a threat we'll hear about it today during the convention. All his supporters are here for the eye to see, if there's anyone we should be worried about in the future then they'll be here."

"Yeah," agreed Scott shoving his hands into his pockets. "There are a lot of people showing up to support the Senator. If we recognize anyone at least we'll know to keep an eye on them from now on."

"Humph." Logan didn't seem the least bit convinced as he glanced up at the white haired senator atop the stage. The man didn't look very threatening at the moment. Logan narrowed his eyes and sniffed the air suspiciously. There was something funny going on.

"Do you smell something?" asked Scott noticing Logan frowning as he scanned the crowd around him.

"Mystique." Logan gave another giant sniff and growled even more. "And something else…southern spice."

"Rogue?" Jean didn't receive an answer as Logan took off into the crowd leaving Xavier alone with his two students. The red head turned to the Professor questioningly. "Professor?"

"I can sense Mystique here, Rogue is harder to pin down…but I think Logan may be right. I wonder why they have come to see the senator speak. If it is just the two of them, then I don't believe they are here to cause a ruckus. Something sinister is in the air."

Logan pushed and shoved his way through the growing throng of people until he found what he was looking for. Standing beside a trash can with a dark look on her face was none other than the mutant known as Rogue. She was oblivious to the X-Man as she listened to the senator call for more support in locking up every single mutant in the United States.

"Long live the land of the free," she muttered to herself glancing off to the side. It had been an hour since she had last seen Mystique, and now she was beginning to grow nervous. Rogue turned back to study the large crowd and instantly locked eyes with Logan. "Not good. Not good at all."

"Come to show your support to the senator, kid?" demanded the older mutant gruffly.

"Sure," said Rogue sarcastically. "Ya know meh so well, old man."

"Where's your mistress? Thought I smelled her around."

"Why would Ah tell you?"

"That's what I thought—you don't have a clue where that slut went, do you? Figures."

"Screw you, Ah didn't come here to listen to your yappin'. Ah came to see what ol' whitey here is all about. Isn't that why you're here? Or are you looking for another fight?" Rogue tossed out the challenge carelessly. She was itching to hit someone. First Mystique dragged her out to this convention, and then the shape shifter conveniently disappeared just as Rogue was gathering up the nerve to let the woman know she knew the truth behind her parentage.

"You ain't so tough, kid," Logan spit out the words mildly, his voice softening as he recognized the confusion in Rogue's eyes.

"Didn't take you as a softie. Whaddya want with meh?"

"Why'd you take Bucket Head's side? What's in it for you?"

Rogue was taken aback by the question. She hadn't expected him to care whose side she was on. She figured he didn't care whose side _he_ was on, so long as he got to tear someone apart later on. He was born to fight, just like she was born to hide. "They treat meh real nice. Ah cahn trust them, they're mah friends. Why are you ohn baldy's side? You don't seem the peaceful type."

Logan chuckled. "You think you can trust Mystique? Look, kid, I've been fighting the woman for years now, she ain't an angel. She'll kill ya so long as it keeps her own skin alive. Who you gonna turn to when that happens?"

"What makes you think it will?"

"What makes you think it won't?"

Lapsing into a brief silence, Rogue contemplated the question, and her answer. "Ah don't need anyone ta take care of meh. Y'all have made it pretty damn clear that Ah ain't ever gonna be accepted. Ah got other friends if Mystiques screws herself over. Don't worry about meh, sugah, Ah'll make sure she gets her dues."

"You think you can take the she-devil down?" demanded Logan with something akin to admiration in his dark eyes.

"Ya better watch your back, old man; Ah might take you down with the shape-shifter one of these days. Ah only look out for mahself. That's what any smart mutant would do."

"Maybe you ain't so bad after all. You've definitely got some brains. That's pretty rare in a screw up hanging around the Brotherhood."

"Ah never said Ah'd be part of them forever. High school ends in another year, after that Ah ain't obligated to listen to anyone," returned Rogue coldly. Logan nodded and slowly stuck out his hand. He had finally met someone worthy of his respect. The southern mutant was bright…she knew exactly what she was doing. Rogue hesitated as she slowly stuck out her hand to shake Logan's. A momentary truce had just been made between them.

"So what's the real reason you're sticking around with those bozos?" asked Logan taking out a cigar and lighting it.

Rogue shrugged. "Ah like them."

"Ah like drinkin', you don't see me makin' friends with all the bartenders, d'ya?"

"It's hard ta explain. Ah joined them because they accepted meh without question. The boys aren't afraid of meh."

"You ain't exactly trying to kill them half the time you're out on the town."

"Yeah, well, your kids ain't exactly makin' meh feel welcome in Bayville. They were afraid of meh since the moment they tried to round meh up in The Big Easy."

"Yeah, well, they aren't the brightest tools in the shed either. They screw up a lot. You should know, you can take them down better than your own team. Using _their_ powers. Stormy said you're pretty skilled."

"Ah don't know about that," murmured Rogue shaking her head. "It just gets easier every time Ah touch someone. Ah'm gettin' better at learnin' how long to hold on. Just because Ah cahn use their powers better than they cahn only means they're afraid of their potential. Your team is tough—they just need to learn how to tap into all their powers."

"It's that easy, huh?"

"That's how it works for meh."

Logan rolled his eyes. "Ain't there a setback to borrowin' from others?"

"Just a couple of unwanted roommates up here." Rogue tapped her head to indicate her meaning.

"Is it safe?"

"Borrowin'? It's never safe. Ah gotta be careful Ah don't lose mah mind—or accidentally kill someone. Ah don't have a gift, Ah have a curse. That's why Ah don't like bein' pushed too far. Ah lose control and mah anger is pretty damn scary to even meh."

"I bet Chuck could fix that," replied Logan casually.

Rogue snorted. "No thanks. Ah don't want anyone in mah head ever again. It ain't comfortable enough as it is. Ah'm fine."

"I'm just sayin', if you need help, you can come to me, alright? I ain't gonna be picky just 'cause you're working with an overgrown fur ball. And don't tell anyone I'd help you out. I have a reputation, you got that?"

"Sure. Ah ain't gonna need your help though."

"Yeah, but just in case, know that I'll help you. We clear?"

"Crystal."

"Good, now tell me where that so called 'guardian' of yours is."

"Dunno. She disappeared the second we got here. Cahn't ya smell her?"

Logan tossed his cigar in the trash before answering. "Too many people."

Rogue nodded and fell into silence once more. She was beginning to trust the gruff X-Man next to her, and she was wondering whether or not she could entrust him with her secret concerning Mystique. If he had fought her for years, then he could possibly know who her father was. Just as she was about to poise her question, an unwelcome voice intruded.

"Logan! There you are! We've been looking for you everywhere!" called out Jean as she and Scott bounded out of the crowd and over towards Logan and Rogue.

"Rogue? What are you doing here?" asked Scott glancing at the brunette cautiously. Jean froze, but wisely kept her mouth shut. There was no use blowing up in front of a bunch of mutant haters.

"Nothin'," replied Rogue quietly. She lowered her eyes and gazed at the ground wishing for an escape. Why couldn't Mystique show up and take her home?

Jean bit her lip as she watched the other mutant shift her feet uncomfortably. Something was bothering her. Thinking back to their encounter at the mall the other week, Jean knew it had to be what Rogue had been crying about that day. There was something the southerner was hiding. Jean felt pity well up in her chest, and instantly regretted all the things she had ever said to Rogue. She was as lost and confused as any other mutant, maybe even more so because her powers were much more dangerous than that of someone like Magneto or even the Professor.

"Rogue," started Jean gently. "I'm sorry we haven't been getting along lately. I don't know what's been wrong with me. You've had it rough since you developed your powers, and I haven't been taking that into consideration. I know I was scared when I got my powers, but I can't begin to understand what you felt when you got yours. I…I just wanted to help, and I'm not used to someone not letting me. I'm…I'm really sorry. Do you think we can start over? I promise to respect your privacy from now on…besides, I wouldn't want the Brotherhood to stalk me for your sake anymore."

Rogue eyed Jean warily, but all she could see was genuine warmth and sincerity in the red head's eyes. Rogue carefully weighed her options, but knew she was finally being accepted by the X-Men. The others looked up to Jean and Scott, if they were to accept Rogue, then the rest would follow suit. Jean stretched out a hand as Logan and Scott watched with anticipation. They might finally be getting through to the Rogue.

"Well..." Rogue trailed off and slowly stretched out her hand towards Jean's. Just as the two were about to clasp, a man with white hair, blue eyes, a wide forehead and wearing a suit came to join the small group. Rogue instantly retracted her gloved hand and stared at the man warily.

"Hello! I'm glad you decided to show your support for the Mutant Registration Act. It's wonderful to see today's young people finally coming around to support right from wrong. I bet you kids can't wait to see all the mutants locked up one day. Are you old enough to vote? More votes can take us one step closer to locking up the dangerous mutant felons hiding out in our society," said the man jovially.

"Who are you?" whispered Rogue with a bad feeling gnawing at the pit of her stomach. Something about this man was making her hands go clammy and her knees to shake. And she knew it had nothing to do with his words. She had been hearing that kind of talk all day.

"Who am I? I'm glad you asked. Senator Edward Kelly at your service. And who, may I ask, are you, my dear?" Senator Kelly beamed down at Rogue praying she was old enough to vote in his favor as well as the Registration Act's behalf.

"Ah…Ah…Ah…" Rogue's voice became softer, and her eyes widened as she recalled Destiny's words.

_The day is coming for you…The day of revelations…You and a powerful senator share the same role…The ushering in of a new era…You can trust no one…revered by the stars…powerful…you alone have the power to be great…The day you meet Senator Kelly will mark your doom…You will become a vessel to wipe out…_

Rogue shook her head, losing the rest of the prophecy. She continued to shake her head in disbelief as she slowly began to back away from the senator standing in front of her. She knew Destiny could see into the future…but to actually experience it first hand was quite another thing.

"Is something wrong?" enquired Kelly with a small frown.

"No, no…leave meh alone!" With those words Rogue sprinted off into the crowd leaving the X-Men behind without a truce. She only cared for one thing now, getting home to where it was safe. Senator Kelly was her doom. It didn't matter what kind of doom, Rogue didn't want to ever find out.

Rogue continued to push out of the convention hall and stumbled out the front doors and down the concrete steps. She was gasping for air, and her entire body was shaking. Rogue could barely see two feet in front of her as she tried to stay atop her feet. Then, without warning, Rogue felt herself lose balance and topple towards the ground. She didn't hit the cement because a pair of arms quickly broke her fall. Rogue glanced up, and it took several blinks before she could see clearly.

An older teenage boy with blonde hair and hazel eyes was looking at her intensely. He studied Rogue's pale face carefully, trying to make sure she didn't need medical assistance as he steadied her on her feet. The young brunette was shaking all over and looked on the verge of tears.

"Are you alright?" he asked with a hushed voice. Rogue nodded dumbly and tried to break free of his hold, but the teen held on tight. He didn't think she could stand on her own at the moment.

"Ah'm fine. Ah'm…not fine," corrected Rogue as her knees turned to jelly again. She tried to push Senator Kelly out of her mind and concentrate on the kind stranger hovering over her. "Who are you?"

"Warren Worthington. Come on, I'll give you a ride home."

**A/N—I wasn't intending to stop here, but the next part makes a lot more sense in the next chapter. I know, it's cruel to do that…and I'm really really really sorry that it's taken me this long to update. School hasn't been kind, but deadlines are staring to spread out finally, so maybe I can get back into a routine for those you patient enough to wait with me. Thanks a bunch, and I hope you like this chapter! **


	18. The Problem with Multiplication

**Disclaimer—I don't own this stuff.**

**Chapter 17-The Problem with Multiplication**

"I'm sorry I had to do this, but you are simply no longer of any use to the Senator. I'll be sure to pass along your condolences when the time is right. Ta-ta." Mystique gave a shove and watched with satisfaction as the dead body of Senator Kelly's aide sank to into the water, pulled several blocks of cement.

"Besides, there's only room for one Mr. Guyrich this year, and that just happens to be me." Mystique stepped away from the edge of the dock and began walking towards her car parked in the shadows of the nearby warehouse. As she walked she shifted into the very man she had murdered. Another phase of Magneto's plan was now in effect.

Infiltration.

**The Ride to Bayville:**

Rogue glanced around the inside of the limo nervously. She had never been in one before, and she wasn't sure she wanted to be this close to another person. Across from her sat the same boy who had somewhat "rescued" her from the Anti-Mutant convention. A Warren Worthington. A rich boy, judging by his current ride.

"Are you feeling better yet?" asked Warren studying Rogue carefully. She hadn't said a word since they had gotten into the limousine.

"Fine. Thanks for the ride," murmured Rogue softly, avoiding his gaze.

"No problem, uh, um…sorry, I don't believe I caught your name."

"Rogue. You cahn call meh Rogue."

"Alright, Rogue. Should I be taking you to the hospital? You don't have some kind of illness I need to know about, do I?"

Rogue allowed herself a small smile and shook her head. "No. The convention just upset meh, that's all. Ah'm sorry ta be so much trouble."

"It's no big deal. My father can afford the expenses. Serves him right…he was there today—at the convention. Showing his support for that asshole of a senator. You weren't there to support Kelly, were you?" Warren leaned back in the leather seat and sighed in relief as Rogue vigorously shook her head. "Good, me neither. My father thought it would be a good idea to see some politics in action…he didn't ask me if I actually _supported _the celebration at hand."

"Mah…mah mother made meh tag along too. She doesn't support them, but for some reason she wanted to go see the senator. Ah don't know where she went after we got there. She totally vanished into thin air," supplied Rogue timidly. She wasn't used to opening up to strangers, but she felt she owed Warren something for all the trouble he was going to on her behalf.

"Parents, huh? Sometimes I think I would have been better off an orphan. Think your mom will get worried when she can't find you?"

"Nah, Ah'm pretty sure she wanted meh ta find mah own way home to begin with. Ah think she just wanted company for the ride up…she'll know where Ah went if she actually looks for meh."

"She sounds as bad as my old man. Wanna trade?"

"Ah think Ah'm good. So, you live in the city?"

Warren nodded without much enthusiasm. "Yeah. It isn't all like the movies make it out to be. My father keeps me shut up at the house studying a shitload of things to do with Latin and democracy. I don't get out much…even if I did it would be something dictated beforehand by my father. He thinks he should run my life according to his expectations. I don't get much of a say in anything. I learned early on to keep my mouth shut when I didn't see eye to eye with him. How about you?"

Rogue shrugged. "Ah just kinda reconnected with mah mother. Ah left mah adopted parents a while back and ended up in Bayville with mah mom. She isn't around much, Ah'm kinda left ohn mah own. She has some other kids livin' with us in this boarding house. It's like some kind of reject home…but she cahn be real tough. She has high expectations…if ya don't play by her rules then you're screwed. Bein' the only girl there Ah don't always hafta follow the same rules. 'Course, Ah honestly don't think she knows what ta do with meh."

"No parent knows what to do with their kids. They just hope for the best," replied Warren sagely. Rogue bit her lip as they lapsed into silence.

_Ah wonder what Mystique would do if Ah told her Ah know she's mah mother? Would she accept meh? _

Rogue's thoughts were interrupted as the limo pulled up in front of the boarding house. The lights were out, meaning no one was home. But Rogue wasn't sure she wanted company at the moment. She cautiously made her way out of the vehicle without touching Warren. "Thanks for the ride," she murmured gratefully.

"No problem. If you need anything, don't hesitate to give me a call, okay? Orphans like us need to stick together." Warren handed Rogue a piece of paper with his phone number. Rogue nodded and watched as the limo started back the way it had come. She pocketed the phone number before walking down the street. She wasn't ready to settle in for the night. Pulling out a cigarette, Rogue made her way to the park mulling the events of the day over in her mind. Twilight was beginning to take over the skies as she settled herself onto an empty swing.

"Ah wonder what kinda doom Destiny was talkin' about," she mused between puffs of her cigarette. Rogue hoped she would never find out.

**At the Local Café:**

Lance rolled his eyes for the tenth time that evening as Kitty chattered away about something or another that had happened during one of her classes earlier in the day. All he had wanted was to relax by himself, but Kitty was attached to him like some kind of plague. She wouldn't leave him alone, he was lucky she hadn't followed him into the restroom yet.

Finally, Lance snapped. "Enough! Kitty, I don't give a damn about some girl saying she likes Kurt. Good for her, why don't you go buy her a fucking candy bar, huh? Geez, why can't you just leave me alone?"

"I'm like totally sorry, Lance. I promise to stop talking about Amanda and Kurt. So, like, how was your day?" Kitty smiled at the dark haired teen winsomely, but he only glared back at her.

"Fine. I'm being talked to death by an annoying girl."

"You don't have to be so mean."

"Kitty, Rogue and I are back together. I thought I told you that already. Leave me the hell alone, okay?"

Kitty pouted as she wiped tears out of her eyes. "Lance, I thought I had made it like totally clear how I feel about you. I know you like Rogue, but she's like totally wrong for you. I can't explain. I just know."

"Whatever. I'm with Rogue, and I ain't screwing that up, got it? There is never gonna be a you and me. Not anytime soon," said Lance seriously.

"But you like can't deny that there is a possibility that we'll end up together some day, right?"

Lance kept his mouth shut. He didn't know what to say. There was a feeling in the pit of his stomach that something big was coming, something that would try to tear him and Rogue apart. And Lance was afraid that whatever came their way would be something he couldn't prevent. He wasn't that strong.

At a nearby table, Pietro only half listened to his date. He was much more interested in Lance and Kitty. He had heard their entire conversation…Rogue was in for another heartbreak if she hung onto Lance. And Pietro wasn't going to stand by when that happened. As soon as he was done with his date, he was going to round up Toad and Fred and let them know they had a problem.

A big problem.

**The Park:**

Kurt couldn't stop grinning to himself as he made his way through the park. Amanda Sefton liked him. And he definitely liked her.

"Man, could this day get any better?" he asked out loud.

"Would anyone really care?" retorted a familiar voice. Kurt glanced up to see Rogue swinging languidly in front of him.

"Gee, you're full of good cheer," he muttered, his German accent thickening as his mood changed.

"Ain't Ah though? Move along, Blue, Ah ain't in the mood ta kick your ass."

Kurt ignored her and took a seat in the only other empty swing. "Did you and Lance break up again? You weren't in school today."

"Nah, Lance ahn Ah are fine. Ah just got to go see some asshole spew about locking mutants up. He's a real talker too. Saw your geeky friends there."

"Senator Kelly. He is someone even the Brotherhood should be concerned about."

"No shit. Spare meh a lecture, would ya? It's been a long day."

"Sorry. I never got to thank you for saving me from Sabertooth that day."

Rogue snorted. "You got us outta there, not meh, remember?"

"I know…but you helped…kind of."

"You don't know when to quit, do you?"

"Not really. Scott says that's my biggest problem. He thinks I'm as bad as Kitty." Kurt chuckled. Rogue glanced at the boy beside her and rolled her eyes. She must have some kind of sign on her forehead asking all the X-Men to try and bond with her. If not, these guys were just too damn friendly for her liking.

Just as she was about to comment on that a shriek pierced throughout the park. "Didja hear that?" she demanded, the hairs on the back of her neck rising.

"Ja. It sounded like it was coming from the basketball courts. Come on!" Kurt jumped to his feet and sprinted towards the area he had indicated. Rogue didn't think twice as she took off after him. She wasn't _that_ cold hearted.

The pair reached the basketball courts in time to see a group of local hoodlums surrounding a wiry looking boy wearing clothes twice his size. One of the thugs laughed harshly and pushed the boy to the ground. Rogue sucked in her breath as four more boys seemed to pop out of the original. He was a mutant.

Rogue gave a small growl as she made her way over to the group. "You boys picked the wrong day to come out ahn play." With those words she grabbed the nearest thug by the shoulder to turn him around in time to meet her fist. Another guy attempted to grab her, but Rogue easily flipped him over onto the cement court. She readied herself for another punch when Kurt appeared in his furry blue form.

"Hello," he said popping onto a thug and knocking him to the ground. Kurt smiled, baring his teeth, causing the guy to scream a high pitched sound. Rogue grinned at the noise and slammed her foot into another fellow's kneecap. She chuckled at the resounding crunch of bone breaking before burrowing her elbow into the nose of the guy trying to sneak up behind her.

"Had enough?" she questioned as Kurt jumped on the back of the last guy standing, digging his claws into the man's skin. The guy hollered with pain until Kurt let go. Blood seeped through the man's clothes, and more glittered on Kurt's claws. The group of hoodlums gathered together and began backing off from Rogue and Kurt, keeping them in sight. As soon as they figured they were far enough away they took off at a dead run.

Kurt wiped the blood off his claws onto his shirt, before turning his holographic inducer back on to revert to his human form. "Ugh, gross. Man, why can't people just back off when someone confronts them? Why all the violence?"

"You _do_ know that the two of us aren't very intimidatin', don't ya?" demanded Rogue wrinkling her nose.

"You scare me."

"That makes meh feel so much better. Ah cahn scare off an elf. Bonus for meh."

"Thank-you!" Out of nowhere, the boy who had been knocked to the ground instantly hurled himself at Rogue, latching his arms around her waist in a hug. "I love you!"

"Hold ohn there, pipsqueak—Ah don't know you, and you sure as hell don't know meh. Let go." Rogue tried to pry the kid's arms off of her, but to no avail. The boy only tightened his grip. He glanced up at her with adoring blue eyes.

"I'm Jamie Madrox."

"Great. Nice ta meet ya, now why don't ya head home, huh?"

"Can I come with you?" he pleaded.

"Why don't you go home to your own folks?" shot back Rogue acerbically.

"Aw, be nice, Rogue," said Kurt. "You saved his life. You're a hero."

"Ah cahn die happy, Ah'm some squirt's hero. How old are ya, Jamie?"

"Almost ten. Can I come with you? Can I, can I? My parents want me to go somewhere safe…they said they can't take care of me…and all the other mees I make sometimes."

"Oh no," protested Rogue desperately trying to get the tiny boy off her. "No way, there's no room where Ah'm stayin'. Lance will go nuts!"

"Please?" Jamie made a pleading face, still refusing to let go of Rogue. He never wanted to leave her—she could protect him from everything.

Rogue grunted and finally managed to untangle herself from Jamie. She quickly shoved him into Kurt's arms, speaking to the German teen. "He's better off with you…Ah cahn't baby-sit him at the boarding house. Fred might sit ohn him or somethin'. You take him."

Jamie sniffed. "You don't want me?"

"Man, this really isn't mah night." Rogue sighed and knelt down in front of Jamie, her heart beginning to melt at his tears. "Look, sugah, Ah'm in school a lot." She ignored Kurt's snort on purpose. "There are adults with Blue here--he'll take care of ya, alright? It doesn't mean we cahn't be friends, it just means ya won't see meh all the time. Ah'll check in ohn ya though…someone has ta make sure those freaks treat ya right."

"You promise?"

"Yeah, Ah promise."

"I love you!" Jamie locked his arms around her neck for another hug, and then he let go, taking Kurt's hand. "Can we go now? I'm kinda hungry."

"You know, food sounds really good right now," agreed Kurt as his stomach rumbled.

"That's all you ever do is eat," announced Lance joining the small group. He glared at Kurt and studied the small boy holding onto the X-Man's hand. "You guys that desperate for recruits?"

Rogue made a face and smacked Lance in the arm. At his confused look she explained, "Do you wanna play baby-sitter? Mystique would be pissed if the kid came home with us. We're not a day-care center."

"Tell that to the other three cry-babies we live with," muttered Lance rubbing his arm. "You ready to head home then? Or are you planning on hanging out with the elf and shrimp?"

"Don't push it, Lance. Let's go. Later, kid." Rogue gave Jamie a lazy wave as she took Lance's hand, allowing the older boy to lead her away from the basketball courts.

As soon as Rogue and Lance were out of sight, Jamie spoke up. "I don't like him."

"Neither do I, but Rogue does."

"Why? He's mean!"

"Girls are strange creatures. Some talk too much, some don't talk at all, and some are like Rogue—they scare you for a living."

"I love Rogue. She can beat people up for me."

Kurt looked down at Jamie with a smile. "Ja, that she can. C'mon, let's get some food. The Professor is definitely going to want to meet you. You're the only person who's gotten through to Rogue."

"I love Rogue," repeated Jamie with a sigh.

"You already said that."

"She's great…" Jamie rattled on about Rogue, but Kurt didn't hear him. There was something about her that bothered him. Rogue reminded him of someone…if only he could recall who…

**A/N—Is this amazing or what? This is the quickest update I have ever done. Unbelievable. I'm not sure if I'll get any more out this weekend, but you never know. I really don't want to do homework…Anyhow, hope you like this one! A little short, yes…but still kinda cute. Enjoy!**


	19. Table Manners

**Disclaimer—As much as I wish I did, I honestly don't own this stuff.**

**Chapter 18-Table Manners**

"Happy Turkey Day, losers!" called out Toad bouncing down the stairs and onto the couch. Lance made a face and scooted closer to Rogue who was trying to read a book.

Pietro groaned. "Man, its Thanksgiving and we don't got any food."

"Didn't take you for a holiday type of guy, Speedy," murmured Rogue putting her book down.

"I'm not, but usually there's food on Thanksgiving, and in case you hadn't noticed, we're a little short on food right now. Where the hell is Mystique anyway?"

Lance shrugged. "Don't think she's coming back anytime soon. Damn bitch, couldn't even give us a call to let us know she was on a mission or anything."

"I'm hungry," moaned Fred clutching his growling stomach. The boys snickered, causing Rogue to glare at them darkly.

"Ya know, it's one thing for Mystique ta go off ahn leave us alone, but she coulda at least left us some money to get by," growled Rogue crossing her arms across her chest.

"Bet there's some moolah in her room," said Toad. The teens glanced up at the ceiling each contemplating whether breaking into Mystique's room would be hazardous to their health later on. Rogue got to her feet and marched up the stairs towards Mystique's room. Lance and Pietro were hot on her heels.

Rogue tried the doorknob but found it locked. "Freddy, Ah need ya for a second!"

Fred made his way up the staircase and nodded in understanding as Rogue pointed at the door. He made a large fist and thrust his hand through the wooden door. Rogue waited until he had removed his hand from the hole before putting her hand through to unlock the door. She smiled in satisfaction at the resounding click and pushed the door open, hitting the wall with a shudder. Rogue walked over to Mystique's dresser and began rifling through the doors until she came upon a large wad of cash tucked away in between some shirts.

"So who wants a turkey dinner tonight?" she asked waving around the money with a smirk on her face.

**At a Local Restaurant:**

"Yo, waitress, I'm gettin' a little hungry over here. Why don't you take our orders?" demanded Toad trying to gain the attention of the waitress as she served the other customers in the restaurant. The Brotherhood had finally found an open restaurant and had been waiting for the last thirty minutes for someone to come and take their orders.

Fred pounded the table with his hands, sending the waitress scurrying back into the kitchen. The rest of the customers tried to hide themselves by hunching down in their seats. "Service sucks here," muttered the oversized teen.

"No shit," agreed Pietro twirling a fork in his hands. "What's the dealio? It's not like we've ever been here before. Have we?"

"No," replied Lance cracking his knuckles. His temper was rising fast at the lack of respect they were receiving. Something was off kilter here, and he wanted to know what it was.

Rogue narrowed her eyes as she studied the customers in the restaurant. She snuck another glance at the doorway leading to the kitchen and gasped when she saw a semi-familiar face peering out carefully. "Dammit!" she cried out getting to her feet. Lance and Pietro jumped up, waiting for an explanation.

"Freakos?" queried Toad looking around with wide eyes.

"Mutant haters," she hissed. "Looks like this place is being run by those hooligans Ah ran into last week. The ones torturin' the little boy."

"Well, now, this _is_ interesting," murmured Pietro. "They must recognize you, Roguey."

"Oh Ah bet they do. Ahn if they know what's good for them they better get their asses in gear ahn get us some food."

After a minute, the petite waitress was pushed back into the dining area. She slowly made her way over to the Brotherhood, stammering as she spoke. "So-sor-sorry, but we-we can't ser-serve y-you to-today. We-we don't serve mu-mutant lovers. You'll, you'll have to leave now."

Rogue cocked her head to one side, trying to decide upon a good course of action. She didn't want to throw a fit, but if these people didn't know they were mutants, then there was no reason to not serve them. _Mutant lovers, what a load of crap, _she thought to herself studying the trembling figure before the group.

"You ain't gonna serve us? Just 'cause we don't have a problem with mutants?" asked Pietro going for a somewhat diplomatic approach.

"Forget it boys," interrupted Rogue, warding off the inevitable. "There's no point in trying to talk sense with these hypocrites. Ah say we find somewhere else ta eat. Some place better than this hellhole of a dump."

"Good idea, I ain't about to kill myself eating this shit," added Lance knocking a customer's plate to the ground. The customer whimpered and scooted closer to his companion as the Brotherhood made their way out of the restaurant. As the glass door shut behind them, the group heard three little words that pushed them over the edge.

"God damn freaks."

Rogue gritted to her teeth and swirled around to face the loathsome restaurant. "Did Ah just hear what Ah thought Ah heard?" she hissed to her friends.

"Yeah, someone just called us freaks," retorted Lance sharply.

"We ain't gonna let 'em get away with that, are we Roguey?" asked Toad scratching the back of his head.

"I think we need to teach these guys a lesson," admonished Fred.

"It's your call, Roguey. Whaddya want us to do?" Pietro glanced over at Rogue. The southern teen was still staring at the restaurant intently.

"It's Thanksgivin', do whatever the hell ya want," decided Rogue acerbically. Her mind was busy recalling Mississippi where she had first been labeled a freak of nature. She was tired of being labeled beforehand. It was high time people found out what pre-judging was all about.

**Xavier's Mansion:**

"Pass the potatoes!" hollered Jamie from his seat in between Kitty and Kurt. Bobby chuckled as he handed the potatoes over to the pint sized mutant.

"Man, look at all this food," sighed Kurt, "I'm in heaven."

"Like stop drooling and pass the corn," said Kitty rolling her eyes.

"Hey, Aunty-O! Are there any more rolls left?" called out Evan from the end of the table. Jean smiled as she exchanged a glance with Ororo. Using her telekinesis, Jean passed the bowl of rolls down to Evan.

"Hey, four eyes, you gonna finish that piece of turkey?" demanded Logan gruffly. Scott made a face, but handed the piece of meat over to the older mutant. No use in fighting for it, there was plenty more left over.

"I do believe that this is the best Thanksgiving we have ever had," murmured Ororo watching the students eat and banter playfully.

Xavier nodded in agreement. "Yes, it seems we will finally be able to get through a holiday in peace."

"I wouldn't be to sure about that, Professor," chuckled Jean, "it's been too quiet lately. Halloween actually went by without a ruckus this year. I'm starting to get nervous."

"Wouldn't worry if I were you, Red, the Brotherhood is being run by Rogue right now. That girl ain't about to make a mess of things while the whore is MIA," replied Logan between bites of turkey.

"Logan, really, watch your language!" scolded Ororo.

The older mutant shrugged and continued to speak. "Rogue isn't stupid. She has a temper, but I think she can handle it. 'Sides, it's a damn holiday, even those screw-ups know not to do anything dumb."

"I think you're giving Rogue too much credit," said Evan. "She gets pissed pretty easily. And if she gets pissed, you know Lance and them aren't gonna just stand by and watch."

Scott shook his head. "I have to agree with Logan. Rogue's smarter than that. But I'm worried too. It's been a while since we've heard a peep from the Brotherhood. I wish I knew what they were up to, but whatever it is it can't be good. With Mystique missing the Brotherhood is a ticking time bomb."

Xavier was quiet as he listened to his students. As he was about to say a few words Cerebro's alarms began to sound throughout the mansion. It seemed trouble was finally at hand.

"Professor, what is it?" asked Bobby. The Professor closed his eyes as he let his mind wander through Bayville. And there he found what had triggered the alarm.

"Apparently, the Brotherhood has decided to stage a scene today. They are currently terrorizing a local restaurant. Alright, X-Men, suit up. I believe today we will need all of your strengths to stop the enemy. Jamie, you and I will stay here while the others go on this mission."

"I don't get to see Rogue fight? No fair! She's the best fighter in the whole world!" pouted the small boy jumping up in his chair.

"Yeah, if you aren't the one getting beat up by her," muttered Bobby fingering the spot where Rogue had hit him a few weeks ago.

"Aw man, and I was just getting started with all the food," groaned Kurt looking at his plate forlornly.

"Don't worry, kid, we'll be back in time to eat again. Gotta keep in shape if you're gonna be an X-Men," said Logan as the group began to file out of the kitchen.

**At The Restaurant:**

Rogue watched with disinterest as Lance let loose another tremor, shaking the building around like a beach ball. She allowed herself to smile as she heard the shrieks of fear coming from the people still inside the restaurant. This was what Thanksgiving was all about.

"That's enough!" shouted a deep voice. Rogue and the rest of the Brotherhood turned to see who was yelling at them. Down the street stood Wolverine, Cyclops, Spyke, Nightcrawler, Storm, Iceman, Shadow Cat and Jean Grey—all in their infamous black uniforms.

"Well, well, well," murmured Pietro grinning like a wild man. "Look who decided to come out and play. You guys are just in time for best part of the course."

"Yeah, patty cakes," added Fred slamming a fist into his hand with a loud smack. Toad and Lance nodded in agreement as they turned to face the X-Men. Rogue's face tightened as she made her way over to her teammates.

"Who wants ta go first?" she challenged silkily.

"I don't play nice, kid," threatened Wolverine shooting his adamantium claws out to their full lengths.

"Well now, sugah, I wasn't askin' ya to." Rogue barely moved a muscle as Wolverine launched a fist her way. She didn't have to. Fred easily shoved the older mutant to the ground with one hand before going to stand over him.

"I hate kids," growled Wolverine as he jumped back to his feet. Fred chuckled darkly, awaiting the next move.

Rogue turned away from the feuding pair to look over at Pietro, Iceman, and Spyke. The two X-Men had teamed up to try and bring the speedster down. Rogue shook her head and quickly kicked the Iceman in the kneecaps, sending him to his knees with a cry of pain. She lodged her knee into the side of his face just as Spyke came at her with two bone-life staffs in his hands. Rogue shifted her attention over to the dark skinned mutant as Iceman fell to the ground in a bloody heap, losing his ice form. With a flick of her wrist, Rogue sent Spyke flying over her head in a flip, forcing him to land on his back hard with a loud crack.

"Amateurs," she muttered to herself as she picked up the bone staffs and twirled them around in her hands. Behind her she could hear the Nightcrawler headed her way. Rather than turn to meet his attack she waited until he had poofed out from behind her to re-appear right in front of her. Nightcrawler was caught off guard as Rogue cracked one of Spyke's bone staffs over his head and another in his gut. The blue creature of the night felt his breath rush out of his lungs before he too toppled to the ground. Rogue dropped the staffs to the ground and wiped her hands before turning to see what else could be done.

Lance and Cyclops were battling head to head with their powers, as Jean and Storm tried to slow Pietro down. Wolverine was still busy with Fred, who was trying to sit on the beastly X-Man. This meant there was only one X-Man left. The Shadow Cat.

"I _really_ don't like you," hissed Shadow Cat as she and Rogue faced each other.

"Feelin' is mutual. Ah hate you," returned Rogue casually. Shadow Cat took a deep breath as she studied the southern mutant before her. She knew that against the Rogue, she didn't stand a chance.

"Why are you like this?" whispered Shadow Cat inching a step backwards.

"That's what Ah do, or hadn't ya noticed?" Rogue shot out a fist causing the petite brunette to stumble backwards in pain. Shadow Cat clutched a hand to her cheek, blinking back tears as Rogue rounded on her once more. The second punch got her squarely in the jaw. Shadow Cat felt herself slip on a rock and down to the ground. Rogue came to kneel beside the younger girl with a shake of her head.

"Ya ain't ready ta fight a real battle, sugah. If ya cahn't handle meh, what makes ya so sure ya cahn handle the real thing down the road?" murmured Rogue as she slipped off a black glove.

"You know what's coming?" asked Shadow Cat with fear radiating off her skin like a second uniform.

"Ah cahn't see the future, now cahn Ah?" Rogue placed a hand on the other girl's hand, draining some of her powers as she continued speaking. "But from what Ah heard, y'all are in for one hell of a fight. D'ya think you're ohn the right side?"

"Kitty!" Jean's scream sliced through the air as her comrade fell back to the ground with a groan and Rogue stood up once again. The red head sucked in her breath as she locked eyes with her enemy. Rogue's emerald green eyes were as cold as ice. Jean felt a shiver go down her spine; soon the fire she held deep within her was aching to be free.

"No! I won't let you get away with this!" shrieked Jean hoarsely. She flew into the air using her powers to lift a nearby car off the ground. With her mind she tossed the car Rogue's way, but Rogue simply used Shadow Cat's powers to let the vehicle phase right through her. Jean let out another irritated cry and sent more vehicles flying towards Rogue.

_The girl has gone crazy,_ thought Rogue to herself as each of the vehicles continued to phase through her. Rogue gritted her teeth and steadied herself for the next onslaught from Jean. However, Jean had other plans in mind. Enraged that Rogue was dodging her every throw, the usually level headed X-Man picked Rogue up off the ground with her telekinesis.

"Hey now, if ya wanna fight then lets fight!" shouted Rogue as she rose into the air. Glancing down at the ground, the brunette began to lose her temper. "This is cheatin' ya damn bitch!"

"I'm going to get through to you one way or another!" swore Jean placing a hand on her mind while using the other to steady Rogue in the air. Rogue's eyes widened as she remembered Jean's threat in Louisiana.

"Jean! Stop it!" ordered Cyclops from the ground. The battle had momentarily stopped as the fighters each looked up into the sky at Rogue and Jean.

"The moment Ah get mah hands ohn ya, Jeanie, Ah swear ta god Ah'll make ya wish you had never been born!"

Rogue's words were barely out of her mouth when a large body came hurtling itself out of the trees and into Jean, tackling her to the ground. Rogue gasped, but instantly maneuvered herself to land on her feet as Jean's mind let go of Rogue. Once on the ground, Rogue looked over to see Sabertooth standing over a dazed Jean Grey.

"Whiskers?" asked Lance in shock.

"Oh, now _this_ is what Thanksgiving is all about," growled Wolverine extending his claws out to attack Sabertooth. Rogue's face was dark as she made her way over to Jean. With her still ungloved hand, Rogue grabbed Jean around her neck, lifting her partway off the ground. Jean tried to fight Rogue off, but the other girl was just too strong for her. Gasping for air, the red head felt her powers, as well as her consciousness leave her body.

"Are ya sorry now, Jeanie? 'Cause Ah sure as hell ain't a very forgivin' person," said Rogue through gritted teeth. Jean didn't say a single word as she finally blacked out, but Rogue continued to hold on. She was past pissed. She was ready to kill.

"Let her go!" demanded Evan. He shot another bone stake towards Rogue, slicing directly over her hand around Jean's throat. Rogue winced in pain, but let Jean fall to the ground still alive.

A blue aura emanated from Rogue's body as she slowly began to grasp some of the extent of Jean's powers. With a cynical laugh she floated into the air, bringing each of the conscious X-Men still left along with her.

"Put us down, Rogue! You don't hafta hurt us!" pleaded Iceman. Nightcrawler nodded and tried to teleport away, but his powers were useless against Rogue. The X-Men had been rendered useless as Rogue blocked their powers from being utilized.

"This is pointless, Rogue," called out Storm in a soothing voice. "Violence gets us nowhere."

"Ahn yet, y'all would have just let Jeanie try to take meh out. It's a good thing Ah don't hold grudges, or Ah'd be worried if Ah was one of you." Rogue smirked in triumph as her eyes glinted with pure malice. "Oh wait, Ah lied. Ah _do _hold grudges."

With those words Rogue sent the X-Men flying through the air and into trees, buildings, and pavement. As her enemies tried to get up for another fight, Rogue began to hurl anything and everything in sight down upon them.

Cyclops barely managed to shoot a flying tree into tiny pieces as Nightcrawler somehow teleported himself out of harm's way. Iceman iced the large semi in place before it ever reached him. He glanced over at the unmoving body of Shadow Cat beside him and gave a sigh of relief when her chest moved, indicating she was okay. Meanwhile, Storm weakly called forth a fast moving breeze to keep a large trash receptacle from landing on her and Spyke. Wolverine wasn't so lucky with the billboard that Rogue had drifted in his direction, but his healing powers quickly set in, allowing him to struggle back to his feet.

"Leave…my…friends…alone." The feeble voice came from Jean. Rogue glanced over at the red head and smiled.

"Guess Ah didn't hold ohn long enough."

"Your loss, not—" Jean let out an ear piercing scream as Rogue used Jean's own powers to go inside her mind. Rogue shook her head of the images and feelings that came rushing into her head. Both girls were breathless. Taking another deep breath, Jean tried to tap into Rogue's mind, but drained of her powers, and with Rogue wielding them the fight was pointless.

Rogue and Jean locked minds, until Jean finally gave way with a second cry of anguish. Rogue placed a hand to her temples, wiping the sweat away. The part of Jean she had drained was fighting to take control of her mind—to wipe away the barriers Rogue had somehow made inside her head.

In the distance, sirens wailed signaling an end to the battle between the X-Men and the Brotherhood of Mutants. Sabertooth growled as he began to force the rebel mutants into a retreat. Lance tenderly picked Rogue up into his arms just as she began to drop to the ground. Within a matter of seconds, the Brotherhood was long gone.

"C'mon, we gotta get out of here before the cops swarm the place," urged Wolverine as he scooped Jean into his arms. Cyclops and Kurt were supporting each other as Iceman picked up Shadow Cat. Storm and Spyke silently followed their team mates away from the battle zone. The fight was over, and it wasn't exactly clear which side had one.

**A/N—Oy veh, I can't believe how long this chapter took for me to write. I have a hard time conveying the battle scenes into words…but I hope you guys can get the general idea. Anyway, I'll try to update ASAP, but family is due for a visit this weekend…if I don't get anything else up before Thursday, then be patient. Thanks.**


	20. Haunted Past

**Disclaimer—Still don't own it.**

**Chapter 19—Haunted Past**

"_Marie needs ta be locked up"_

"_Your dahter is not capable of living among us"_

"_I tried to help you…I'm tired of being nice"_

"_Mutants shouldn't have to hide from the world"_

"_I know what's like to run, I ran for my whole life"_

"_You possess great powers"_

"…_you have become the most wanted mutant…"_

"_You are very much like your mother"_

"_I've never met a girl like you before"_

"…_you've gotta trust me"_

"_Any of us here could protect you"_

"_Mystique will deceive you…you can't trust her"_

"_I think you were worth the bruise"_

"_My helmet…or the boy dies"_

"_You're too valuable to lose"_

"…_you can count on me no matter what…"_

"_Everyone makes mistakes"_

"_Promise me that…you'll come to me for help. I'm here for you…"_

"_You can't hide forever…no mutant can"_

"_Sometimes rules have to be broken…"_

"_You're different from…other girls…"_

"…_you can trust no one…you alone have the power to be great…"_

"…_you will become a vessel to wipe out the human population…and you will not live to tell about it"_

"_One day you will be able to set things straight"_

"_No one will ever accept you…you're not like us"_

"…_you're only a weapon…"_

"_You think you can trust Mystique? She'll kill ya so long as it keeps her own skin alive."_

"_God damn freaks"_

"_I'm going to get through to you one way or another!"_

"_Violence gets us nowhere…"_

Rogue sat up out of breath, waking from a deep sleep. She fought back tears as she wiped the sweat off her forehead. Judging by her alarm clock it was early Saturday morning. The past two days had been spent in bed, recuperating from her latest interaction with the X-Men. With a shake of her head Rogue leaned back against the wall and pulled her pillow into her arms. Her entire body was shaking as she tried to rid herself of the recurring nightmares plaguing her mind.

"Why am Ah like this?" she whispered to herself. It was getting harder to control her mind…to remember which memories were hers, and which ones belonged to the poor souls she had drained since the development of her curse. Tears began to trickle down Rogue's cheeks as the events of her fight with Jean came flooding back to her in fluid detail. Looking back on it, it was almost as though she had been one part of Jean fighting against another form of the red headed X-Man.

Rogue scooted out of her bed and walked over to the window. She breathed in the fresh air as she opened her window to gaze out at the moonlit night. "What the hell is happenin' ta meh? Why do Ah feel so out of control?"

Pain, anguish, hurt—all emotional, all physical, it was more than Rogue could handle. She was reaching her ultimate limits…and after that, Rogue wasn't sure what she would be capable of. She had no intentions of touching another soul until she could get a grip on herself. As Rogue continued to stare out her window she felt the stirring of a dangerous fire within herself. Somewhere along the way she had gained an unwelcome new persona.

**Xavier's Mansion:**

Jean groaned as she struggled to open her eyes. "Oh god, I feel like someone took a sledge hammer to my skull," she said lifting a hand to her aching head.

"Close enough," came a gruff voice, one she vaguely associated with Logan. Jean managed to open her eyes and saw Logan, the Professor, and Ororo standing nearby.

"How are you feeling?" murmured Ororo gently as she helped the younger girl sit up.

"Terrible…what happened?"

"You underwent quite a battle with Rogue the other day. She drained you, and then exerted your own powers against yourself," answered Xavier. "And yet you managed to rise again to try and stop her."

"Man, she hits hard," mumbled Jean massaging her temples.

"The kid's a fast learner. She's too damn dangerous," spit out Logan darkly.

"Yes," agreed Xavier, "but I believe Rogue is not entirely in control of her powers. This is why she seems to hit us hardest after a draining. She is in need of our help."

"She still will not listen to reason, Charles. But after the Thanksgiving fiasco, I am beginning to wonder how much longer it will take before Rogue loses complete control of anger. She is on a downward slope right now." Ororo gave a small sigh.

"Barriers…" whispered Jean hoarsely.

"Excuse me?" asked the Professor as the three adults turned their attention back to Jean.

"Barriers—her mind has barriers. I've been meaning to tell you, Professor. I know it's wrong, but I've tried to read Rogue's mind before, but every time I try I can't seem to get through. She has built in mental barriers…I don't know that even you would be able to break them down. I think this might be why she's able to push herself to the ultimate limits when she gains a borrowed power. The barriers must be a two-way ticket. No one can get in, and the powers must not be able to get back out again."

Professor Xavier nodded thoughtfully. "That is most interesting. Perhaps this is why Rogue has become such a sought after mutant. But what use could Eric gain from her powers?"

**On the Other Side of Town:**

Rogue flinched as she grabbed the side of a brick building to steady herself. It was still early morning…no one was out on the streets yet. But Rogue wanted some answers. And only one person could help her get them. She pushed herself off the wall and stumbled down an alley, collapsing on top of the manhole. With a grunt she managed to sit up again and slowly pulled the manhole cover open. She gasped in surprise as the cover came up faster than she had expected. Then she took a deep breath in relief as Caliban stuck a head out.

"I felt you coming."

Down in the sewers Rogue leaned against the slimy wall and slid to the ground, exhausted. It had taken a lot for her to make it all the way here.

Caliban was frowning as he studied the pale brunette carefully. "You are weak; you shouldn't be out so soon. Not after the other day."

"You heard 'bout that?" asked Rogue with a faint chuckle.

"Yes…we all did. It was quite a feat that you performed. I am sure your master is very pleased with the outcome."

"Fuck…him. Ah came for…some help."

"What kind?"

"Mah mother. Mystique," Rogue spat out the name bitterly. "Ah want ta know everything 'bout her. The men in her life…Ah don't care how long ago, Ah just want some names. Ah need to sort it all out."

"I do not know that I should tell y—"

"Mystique will hafta go through meh ta get to you, sugah. But Ah'm losin' control up here," Rogue tapped her head, "ahn Ah wanna know what kinda person mah father could be."

"Your mind…how well are you coping, Rogue?" Caliban displayed concern as Rogue took another calming breath.

"Not very well…least, not anymore. The other day hit meh pretty hard. Ah need to figure out mah past before Ah can figure out mah future. D'ya know anything, Caliban? We _are _friends, aren't we?"

"Yes…I know only minimal details about your mother. I know even less about you. But I will try to help you as best I can…because we are friends, Rogue."

"Thank-you."

"You must know that Mystique has a most unique bond with your other master, Magneto. They are lovers of sorts. That much is common knowledge amongst all mutants. But there have been others. I know of only one other, but there were more."

"So Mags is one potential…who's the other?"

"Charles Xavier. There was a brief…bond…between them at one time. It was lost as soon as the war against mutants began. Charles was the one who helped Mystique gain control of her powers. She loved him for that, and was hesitant in ever raising a hand against him."

"So Mags ahn Xavier. Great, Ah'm not sure Ah like any of that. Ya know what this means, don't ya? Mah father might be a mutant. Which means Ah'm screwed. Mah powers have to be a combination of mah parents' DNA…some powerful DNA." Rogue brought her legs up to her chest as her mind tried to process the possibilities of her parentage. "Ahn there were others?"

Caliban nodded solemnly. "Countless others. Your mother is not known for her loyalty."

"So I've heard. How 'bout Wolverine? He made it sound like he's known Mystique for a while."

"Perhaps. I don't know much about him. No one, not even Wolverine himself, knows about him."

"Ah don't know what ta do, Caliban. Ah scare mahself now…all Ah want are answers. Why am Ah the way Ah am? When Ah fight Ah don't have remorse for the things Ah do…is that normal?" Rogue's voice weakened with tears as she buried her face in her knees.

"Power comes at a great cost, Rogue. Every mutant must deal with the outcomes in different ways. You contain both a gift and a curse. The ability to detach oneself from the tides of battle is part of that gift. If you did not then the consequences of your actions would tear apart your mind, until you lost all control and became the ultimate threat to yourself and society. Do not bemoan the fact that you are dangerous. All mutants are dangerous, Rogue. _You _have the ability to do great things with your powers, whether you use them for good or evil depends upon yourself; but never lose doubt. For doubt is what breeds trouble."

Rogue glanced up at Caliban cautiously. "Destiny told meh that only doom awaits meh."

"Destiny sees possibilities. Perhaps a test is coming, but it does not mean all of her prophecy will come to pass. Believe in yourself, Rogue, and you will find the answers you are looking for. And more; much, much more." Caliban tilted his head in farewell, and slowly began his retreat deeper into the sewers. Rogue watched him go, feeling a bit more confident in herself as she somehow made it back on her feet.

Minutes later she was topside once more and walking down the street. Winter was in the air as she pulled her coat tighter around her thin body. Yet, the crisp air helped to clear her mind. Rogue paused on the sidewalk and glanced towards the direction of the park. She could sense something there, something waiting for her. With renewed determination, Rogue headed towards the park, feeling the cool breeze wisp by her ears. As she neared the play area, Rogue caught sight of Sabertooth, prowling underneath a large oak tree.

"Hey, Whiskers," she said tiredly making her way to stand beside the large mutant.

"You shouldn't be out, you look like shit," returned the beast darkly.

Rogue shrugged. "Just wanted to clear mah head. You stalkin' meh?"

"Boss is worried about you…said you took a big gamble against that red head. You could have been killed."

"Maybe."

"Dammit, didn't Mystique teach you anything?" demanded Sabertooth with a growl. Rogue jumped back in surprise.

"Like what?"

"Like how to stay out of trouble. You ain't too smart, girl, when it comes to holdin' back from the enemy."

"Didn't know that was such an issue. It's not like Ah've seen Mystique lately. She hasn't been around…Ah figured she was some kinda mission for Mags, ahn she just forgot ta tell us," snapped Rogue irritably.

"That's just like her. She didn't warn ya she'd be AWOL for a bit, did she? Damn bitch, she'll never change. She's doing Magneto a favor, tailing the enemy. She'll be back soon."

Rogue frowned. "How long have ya known her?" she asked finally.

Sabertooth glanced down at Rogue warily. "Long enough to know she can't be trusted." He swiftly grabbed Rogue by the shoulders, giving her a warning look. "No matter what happens, don't trust that whore. Mystique hasn't always been loyal to Magneto. God knows what plans she has up her sleeve that involve turning against our leader. I know from experience what kind of betrayal and backstabbing that woman is capable of. You trust you instincts, you got me? Don't _ever_ believe a word that comes out of her mouth!"

"Sure thing. Now, let go, you're hurtin' meh!" Rogue clutched her right shoulder the moment Sabertooth let her go. He stepped back and gave her one more glance before disappearing into the woods. Rogue watched him go and then leaned back against the tree. Now that meant there were four possible men from Mystique's past. And it seemed as though all of them wanted Rogue to tread carefully when dealing with the shape shifter.

**Monday at School:**

Rogue grimaced as she pulled out her pack of cigarettes. Her shoulder still hurt from Sabertooth's hold.

"Dammit!" exclaimed Rogue tossing her pack aside upon noticing it was empty. And she desperately needed a cigarette. Things had been pure hell all day. Jean was absent from school, and Rogue had been the recipient of glares from the X-Men. Apparently the red head was still recovering from the battle.

_Figures. Jeanie's too damn weak. Scared of what she is inside._

But that wasn't Rogue's only problem. Lance was due for lunch detention, and after school he was supposed to work with his partner on an English project. And to make matters even worse, his partner just happened to be Kitty. Rogue's day was definitely turning out to be a shitty one.

So now here she was cutting her morning classes and sitting outside the auditorium, trying to take a break. Her mind was still reeling from the revelations of the weekend, and there was still no word from Mystique. Rogue wasn't sure what to think anymore. Who was she supposed to trust if not her own mother?

As if on cue Kurt came walking around the building, deep in thought. Rogue prayed under her breath that he would pass by with out seeing her sitting on the ground. No such luck.

"Rogue?" Kurt paused to study the southerner in confusion.

"Keep walkin' blue, Ah'm busy."

"Doing what? Sitting?"

Rogue gritted her teeth. She was beginning to think it had been a bad idea ever coming to Bayville in the first place. "Ah'm busy thinkin'. Now get lost."

"Oh no, if you have something on your mind, then you should talk to somebody about it. Like me."

"Not in this lifetime!" cried out Toad jumping down from a tree to tackle the German X-Man. Rogue shook her head as the two boys wrestled on the ground. As they neared the stairway leading down to the auditorium basement, Rogue got to her feet and began to walk away from the school.

"A little help, Roguey," gasped out Toad.

"I want to talk to you!" called out Kurt. Rogue ignored them both as they tumbled down the stairwell. She was tired of all the fighting.

Rogue continued walking, lost in thought until she came across a pay phone. She looked at it without really seeing it, then an idea dawned on her. She fumbled through her coat pocket and pulled out a piece of paper with Warren's number on it. Well if there was ever a time she needed to talk, now was it.

**Later that Day:**

Rogue stirred the contents of her coffee as Warren sat across from her, chowing down on a couple of croissants. After her phone call he had rushed down to Bayville to see her again. Partly because he was worried about her, and partly because he seemed drawn to her like no one else he had ever met.

"So, how are things going?" he finally asked.

"Ah'm tryin' ta piece together mah mother's past. Ah want ta know about mah father…but it's a lot harder than Ah thought it would be," murmured Rogue softly. She leaned her head against a propped arm and gazed out the café window.

"That bad?"

"She wasn't exactly a faithful woman. Ah'm up ta four possible fathers."

Warren grimaced in understanding. "And here I thought my dad's constant dating around was a bad thing. But I'm a little more concerned about you in general. You don't look much better than the last time I saw you. Pale face, trembling body, tired eyes. You look exhausted, Rogue. C'mon, tell me all about it. That's why I'm here, isn't it?"

Rogue glanced over to look Warren in the eyes. Finally she said, "Ah'm a mutant."

Warren didn't even blink. "I figured as much from the first time we met."

"Ah'm in deep waters, Warren. Ah'm fightin' a battle Ah cahn't win. But Ah don't think Ah have a choice anymore."

"You always have a choice, even if it doesn't seem like it at the time. I gather you're involved with some shady people, huh?"

Rogue chuckled dryly. "You could say that. Ah'm in way over mah head. At the time Ah felt Ah was makin' the right decision, but now…Ah feel like all Ah'm doin' is hurtin' people. Innocent people. But Ah don't know how ta make it right again. All Ah really want is acceptance."

"From your mother," sighed Warren.

"Yeah, is that wrong of meh?" she asked timidly. Warren leaned back in thought.

"It's complicated, that's for sure, Rogue. But I can see why you would want some kind of acceptance from your mother. I'm the same way with my father. As much as I disagree with him on pretty much every possible issue, I won't tell him no directly. Parents are people you always want to please, no matter what it requires you to do."

"Exactly, but Ah'm not sure acceptance from mah mother is what Ah really want. Ah think Ah want ta come to terms with her ohn the past. Why did she abandon meh? Why hasn't she acknowledged who she really is ta meh? Why am Ah so damn important after seventeen years of being ignored?"

Warren frowned. "That one's probably the most important question you could ask. And I wish I knew the answer…because, from the sounds of it, your mother's up to something concerning you. Are you really that powerful?"

"You have no idea."

**A/N—Well, here's the latest chapter. I tried to give a little more insight into Rogue, so I hope it makes a little bit of sense. Next couple of chapters are pretty important in the big switcheroo. Exciting, isn't it? Anyway, enjoy until the next one.**


	21. Random

**Disclaimer—I don't own anything here.**

**20—Random **

Mystique yawned. Being Mr. Guyrich wasn't doing much for her beauty sleep. It seemed Senator Kelly needed his personal aide awake most of the time to keep on top of the numbers rallying to his cry. A cry to lock up every single mutant in America, before taking on the world. With gritted teeth Mystique listened to the Senator as he babbled on and on about his upcoming meeting with the President.

"Now, Guyrich, I want everything in order when we touch down at the White House. Make sure I have my reports on homeland security. We got to scare the President shitless in order to get more backing for the Mutant Registration Act. Damn muties, who the hell in their right mind would try and protect them?" Senator Kelly snorted with derision as he peered out the window of the small plane. They were crossing water now.

"Wait a second; does the damn pilot know where he's going? There's no water on the way to the White House. Not from New York! Guyrich!" The Senator turned to his aide but the figure staring back at him wasn't Guyrich. In Guyrich's place sat a morosely beautiful blue woman in a white form fitting dress staring right back at him. Her yellow eyes seemed to pierce his soul.

"Who are you?" he gulped, shrinking back in his seat.

Mystique smiled. "You're worst nightmare. You have every reason to fear me, Senator, because its people like you who make me the way I am. Dangerous." Her words dripped with venom, and on the last syllable she quickly knocked the Senator out with a sharp kick to his head. With a satisfied smirk, Mystique drew a dagger as she made her way to the cockpit.

"We should be in Canada within the hour—what the—" the pilot never finished his thoughts as he slumped over dead in his seat, blood spilling out from the slit in his throat.

"You humans are so stupid," muttered Mystique as she took over the plane's commands from the co-pilot's chair.

The plan was finally in motion.

**Underground:**

Magneto's eyes were closed in concentration as the sounds of Mozart drifted throughout the metal room. With a sigh he opened them to peer at the cell phone sitting atop his desk. Patience was wearing thin.

"What the hell is taking so long?" he murmured to himself. He stood up and began to pace the room. The moment was coming. A moment that would define his place in history—as the liberator of mutant-kind. No more would the homo-sapiens rule the world…it was time for a new era.

The cell phone rang, breaking Magneto from his reverie. He picked it up and smiled at the caller I.D. It was perfect timing. He turned it on, bringing the small device to his ear. "My dear, please tell me that the next phase has been completed?"

"It's done," came Mystique's voice from the other end.

"Perfect." Humans were about to head on a one way trip to extinction.

**Elsewhere Underground:**

Sabertooth growled a deep rumbling sound from within his chest. He was on edge. Magneto's plans were underway, but Sabertooth was taking orders from a higher power. Times were dangerous, and it was each mutant for himself. The hairy mutant kicked a chair across the room he was in, the sound echoed through the dank sewers.

Some base. They were hiding out in the rotting sewers of all places—the X-Men really didn't have a clue what they were up against. Sabertooth grabbed his chair again and took a seat. He grabbed a large metal file and began the long, yet soothing process of sharpening his nails.

He needed to be ready for his role for the future. The offer was too good for a screw-up. The money was only a plus, Sabertooth's life though, that was the real clincher.

**Undisclosed Location in Egypt:**

The mutant known only as Sinister studied the calendar on the wall of the dark tomb. It was an ancient hieroglyphic calendar, but he didn't need to translate it into English anymore. He had been staring at the calendar for the last three years, waiting for the day of Revelations.

With a straight face he walked over to the small desk he had moved into the tomb. On top of the desk was a paper schedule. Only half the items on the list were completed. Two names stood out as he casually glanced over its contents.

Warren Worthington and Rogue.

The day was almost at hand.

**Cerebro:**

Xavier reached out with his mind with a single purpose. Find Mystique. The shape shifter had been missing for quite a while now. The school board had decided to dismiss Principal Darkholme for not showing up for her job the last couple of weeks. With a troubled sigh, the great telepathic finally opened his eyes in retreat.

Mystique was nowhere to be found, which meant only one thing. Magneto. Something was amiss, and Charles knew that whatever was in the making would be his old friend Eric's doing.

"Eric, why have you lost your way? What is it that you are planning? I feel such a sense of foreboding coming my way. Why must I feel so helpless?" murmured Xavier to himself.

He winced as the sound of breaking glass reached him inside Cerebro. Apparently the new students were having a little too much fun. With another sigh, Charles slowly made his way out of Cerebro. His search for Magneto would have to wait for another day.

**Xavier's Mansion:**

"Oops," said Jamie as he and Jubilee stood staring at the broken window. They had been playing baseball—inside the house of all things, and now there would be severe consequences.

Jubilee groaned. "Man, why can't I have powers that would fix this mess?"

"Think we'll be in trouble?" asked Jamie, his eyes already forming tears for a potential plea bargain.

"More than likely. This wouldn't have happened if Bobby hadn't decided to ditch us. I don't see what the big deal is about some stupid play rehearsal. It's a freakin' school play! No one's gonna see it!"

"Rogue's in it!" announced the small boy perking up. Jubilee felt herself deflate at the thought. With Rogue in the picture, the young Asian didn't stand a chance in hell at getting Bobby to notice her. What did everyone see in the Rogue anyway? She wasn't even that pretty.

"My life sucks!" Jubilee pouted and kicked shards of glass spinning across the floor. She whimpered in defeat as the glass came to a halt in front of the Professor himself.

"I think an explanation is in order," said Xavier softly.

**Garage:**

Logan studied his bike from one angle and then another. Yep, she definitely needed to be washed. Damn kids, always trying to touch it with their grubby little hands. Never mind the fact that the kids in question were really teenagers. No one touched his bike.

Tossing a sponge into the bucket of water Logan drifted off into thought. His mind was still reeling from the last interaction with Rogue. There had been something funny about her after she had drained Red. But Logan couldn't quite put his finger on it. With a shake of his head, the older X-Man grabbed the soapy sponge and began the process of cleaning his precious bike back into tip-top condition. He had a feeling he'd be using it soon.

**Garden:**

Ororo was basking in the sunlight, trying to take in the peacefulness of the moment. She gave a small shiver and pulled her coat tighter around her body. She shifted in her seat as her ears caught a strange sound. It was more like a lack of a sound. The quiet—there weren't any birds singing in the trees. Looking up into the sky, the weather witch didn't see any birds flying over head.

"Something is coming," she whispered to herself trying to sit back. There was no use jumping to conclusions, but her mind was now awhirl. Animals knew when danger was on the horizon. And judging by the lack of animal activity now, Ororo knew something big was headed their way. With a resigned sigh, she sat up and slowly made her way back into the mansion.

Stuff like this just couldn't be ignored. War was brewing.

**New York City:**

Warren stuffed his hands into his coat pocket, and hunched his shoulders as he made his way down the crowded sidewalk. Winter was here, but the only cold Warren could feel was a deep sense of danger. Mutants had been quiet lately, and he knew it had nothing to do with Senator Kelly's Mutant Registration Act. No, it was almost as though the mutant population felt some kind of storm was coming, and now they were hiding out in hopes it would pass by peacefully. So lost in his thoughts, Warren didn't notice the blind lady until he had bumped into her.

"Oh, sorry! I seem to be doing a lot of that lately," apologized Warren as he steadied the red headed woman.

"You!" she exclaimed, her sunglasses peering right through him.

"Excuse me?"

The woman known as Destiny paled and gripped the boy's arms with strong hands. "It is coming! The end of mankind is coming!" she hissed.

"I don't know…are you alright?" Warren struggled to get loose, but the woman held on like iron cuffs.

"Rogue! She is in danger! And you, you are also in danger. Why didn't I see this before? Why didn't I see? It will be too late. Her fate is changing…"

"Did you say Rogue?" demanded Warren, his eyes widening in horror. "What kind of danger is she in? Tell me! I have to warn her!"

Destiny let go of Warren and shook her head sadly. "The end of the world is coming."

**Bayville High School:**

"You should come over this weekend and meet my parents, Kurt. I know they'd really like you," said Amanda sweetly. Kurt gulped at the thought.

"Amanda, I think I should tell you something," he started nervously. Deep down Kurt knew there was no way Amanda's parents would accept him once they found out he was a mutant. Kurt hadn't even told Amanda yet.

"You don't have to say anything. You'll meet them in a safe place. Daddy isn't really that bad. Come to Church with me this Sunday and you can see for yourself. Okay?"

"Uh, well, you see, uh…sure. Church on Sunday," relented Kurt. Amanda gave a squeal of delight hugging Kurt.

"Meet me at my house Sunday morning at eight-thirty. See you later."

Kurt watched with a sinking feeling as Amanda bounded away towards her home. He was so screwed. With a sigh, the German teen leaned against the oak tree and slumped to the ground. He was definitely going to have to get a couple of pointers from Scott now. Just as Kurt was getting up the nerve to stand up and search for Scott, one very stinky mutant jumped down in front of him.

"Yo fur ball, heard you got detention for missing school the other day," exclaimed Toad with triumph.

"Ja, no thanks to you, Wart."

"The name's Toad, you better remember it or else."

"Or else what, slime ball? You're the one who pushed me down the stairs—"

"And then you poofed away!"

Kurt snorted. "No, I fell into a time warp. Met another mutant like myself."

"Yeah, I heard. Some freak called Forge."

"What d'ya want?"

Toad gave a sinister chuckle. "Nothing. Just thought we should finish our last fight. It never got finished last time around."

"Fine by me," muttered Kurt, turning off his image inducer. He had barely returned to his naturally blue form when Toad tackled him to the ground. The two teen boys wrestled, until Kurt pushed Toad off with his feet. Toad flew back into the tree, dazed. Just as the green boy was about to do a counter attack he froze. A car was slowly driving by the school.

Kurt yelped and jumped into the branches of the tree. Toad joined him, and in complete silence they watched as the car rolled to a stop. A man in a dark business suit stepped out, seeming to inspect the outside of the school. He was a portly fellow with gray hair and dark eyes. He took a couple of steps towards the school, but stopped upon hearing someone call his name.

"Mr. Stryker, sir, the President just called. Your colleague, Senator Kelly, failed to show up for the intended meeting. The plane he was in vanished from radar. The government's worried that mutants are behind the disappearance."

William Stryker locked his jaw in place and threw the school another disapproving glance. With a sharp nod he returned to the car, and it took off at break neck speed.

Kurt and Toad both jumped down from the tree, their battle forgotten.

"That Kelly guy, wasn't he at the rally the other week?" asked Toad with a nervous twitter.

"Ja. He hates mutants." Kurt turned to face his archrival. "You don't happen to know anything about this, do you?"

"No…unless…" Toad trailed off and glanced in the direction of the boarding house. Mystique had been gone for quite a while now. She only did that when Magneto had something up his sleeve.

"Unless what?" Kurt groaned as his question went unanswered. Toad was already gone.

**Park:**

Bobby kicked a pebble with his shoe. It skittered down the sidewalk, but the blonde teen didn't even notice it. Play rehearsal hadn't gone very well. His role as Benvolio wasn't much fun. Of course, it didn't help that he hadn't memorized his lines. The ones he did know were quickly forgotten whenever he saw Rogue. She had seemed different today. Almost scared and lost.

"Why won't she talk to me?" he murmured to himself.

"Hey freako, move it or lose it!" threatened a deep voice from behind Bobby.

"Fuck off, Blob."

Fred shrugged. "Suit yourself, Ice Chump." The heavy set mutant nudged Bobby to the ground with a large elbow.

Bobby groaned. "Dude, I don't feel like messing around. So fuck off."

"Make me."

With a shake of his head, Bobby scrambled to his feet. "Don't you get it? Rogue's hurting!"

"Huh?" Fred blinked in surprise. He hadn't been expecting this.

"Didn't you see her at rehearsal? Something's bothering her. She wasn't even talking to anyone today."

"Well," Fred scratched the back of his head. "I guess she _did_ kinda seem different today. But she isn't in a fight with Lance. Or anyone else."

"Yeah, well, something's bothering her, fatty. You live with her; you're friends with her for Christ sakes! Why don't you start keeping an eye on her, huh? I may be the enemy here, but I'm still worried about Rogue. Something's going on, something bigger than you and I can even imagine." Bobby looked at the other mutant expectantly. Fred finally nodded in agreement.

"Alright, I'll talk to her. I'll keep an eye on her too, only so you can stay the hell away from her!"

"That's all I ask."

"Freddy! We got a problem!" wheezed Toad hopping over to join his comrade.

"What kinda problem?" demanded Fred.

"That Senator guy is missing. The one who hates mutants."

"So?"

"Mystique hasn't been around for a while, or hadn't you noticed? C'mon, we gotta find the others and let 'em know. We're gonna be in deep shit!"

Bobby was at a loss of words as the two Brotherhood mutants rushed away, talking a mile a minute.

"I better let the Professor know about this," he murmured to himself.

**Skate Park:**

Pietro was waiting for Evan as he exited the skate park.

"Hey Daniels, catch this!" the white haired teen barely had the words out of his mouth as he shot a fist into Evan's face.

"What the fuck, Maximoff?" demanded Evan stumbling backwards a few steps.

"Just a little warning you should pass on to your buddies," replied Pietro flippantly.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Guess you haven't noticed, have you? Are you really that dumb?"

"Huh?"

Pietro sighed and grabbed Evan by the collar, pushing him against a nearby wall. "Your friend Kitty is in for a whole lot of hurtin' when Rogue finds out her little secret. If you want to keep her alive then maybe you should keep her away from Lance. In case you've forgotten, Rogue isn't the most forgiving person on the planet. She looks ready to snap again…and I'd hate to see it wasted on someone as pathetic as Kitty Pride."

Evan gritted his teeth and shoved Pietro away from him. He quickly produced a bone stake and whirled it around in his hands. "Then you better tell Lance to keep his hands to himself. I think if Rogue were to take anyone down it would be Lance." With those words he lunged towards Pietro, the stake aimed at the speedster's chest. Pietro moved to the side, watching Evan steady himself for another attack.

"You aren't even in my league, Daniels. You never will be," taunted Pietro calmly.

"Asshole!" Evan tossed the stake at Pietro, knowing full well the teen would get out of the way. But Evan was ready for him; he pulled out more skeletal spikes and threw them as fast as he could at Pietro. Minutes later the two teens were out of breath, having gone in a circle more than twice.

"Give up?" huffed Pietro.

"Never," vowed Evan. He was about to throw a well aimed punch, but Pietro was already throwing a shoulder into his gut and forcing Evan back towards the brick wall with as much speed as he could muster. Evan felt the wind knocked out of him and winced as the bricks pressed into his back.

Pietro took a step back as Evan dropped to the ground. "Just pass on the warning, dumbass."

Evan watched as Pietro disappeared in the blink of an eye. With a groan he tried standing up, but he still hadn't caught his breath yet. Evan sat back and leaned his head against the wall. Why did he have to warn Kitty to stop playing games?

**Xavier's Mansion:**

Jean studied the television screen with keen interest. Breaking headline news confirmed what both Bobby and Kurt had discovered earlier. Senator Kelly was in fact missing. There was an investigation ongoing, but absolutely no leads.

To top off that, Mystique was also missing. And, as the Professor had reluctantly informed them, she had been their high school principal. It was mind blowing, yes, but not surprising. The Professor liked to believe everyone had an ounce of goodness in them; that they deserved every chance they had to prove themselves to the world.

"What does Magneto want with Senator Kelly?" murmured Jean to herself. She leaned back into the cushions of the couch as her mind drifted away from the news program. She was getting stronger by the day, returning to the way she was before the battle with Rogue. Of course, now Rogue refused to even look her in the eye. Not that Jean could blame her; she _had_ initiated the attack forcing Rogue to lose control.

But something else was bothering Jean. There was a small voice in her head telling her she was forgetting something. Something she had somehow managed to gleam from Rogue's mind in the midst of their battle. The only problem was that Jean couldn't remember what it was she had learned. But she knew it was important.

Jean sat up like a dart when she heard the front door open. She rushed over just in time to see Evan come in with bruises across his face.

"Pietro?" she asked knowingly.

"I'd kill him if he ever took the chance to stand still," muttered the other teen darkly.

"You shouldn't let him get to you like that. He was born to be annoying."

"You're telling me. Hey, have you seen Kitty by any chance?"

Jean shook her head. "No, why?"

"Nothin', I just gotta talk to her. I think it might be important."

"How important?" Jean narrowed her eyes as Evan looked at her.

"You really want to know?"

**Drive in Theater:**

Lance parked his jeep and turned to the passenger beside him. Kitty grinned at him as the movie started. With a shake of his head Lance tried to concentrate on the opening scene. But his mind was awhirl. What he was doing was wrong, but it felt right. After working on a school assignment with Kitty the last couple of days Lance had come to see a whole new side of her. She wasn't just an annoying valley girl, she was smart and funny. And beautiful. Old feelings that Lance had thought he had gotten rid of had come flooding back full force.

"I'm really glad you took me out tonight, Lance. It's like really sweet of you," murmured Kitty nestling into the crook of his arm.

"Yeah yeah, just don't let anyone else know. It'd ruin my reputation," replied Lance in a teasing manner.

"What about Rogue?"

"You let me worry about her, alright?"

Kitty sat up with a serious expression on her face and looked at Lance carefully. "Lance, you know I like you, and I know you still like me, so why don't you just end things with Rogue? She might understand, you know."

"It's complicated. Rogue's been out of it lately. She needs me." Lance avoided Kitty's eyes, nervously running a hand through his dark eyes.

"You love her." Kitty's voice was accusing.

"I…I don't know anymore. Everything's so damn confusing, Kitty. Part of me wants to move on with you, but the other part of me won't let go of Rogue. I'm worried about her. She trusts me; I don't want to lose that."

"But aren't you like breaking her trust right now?"

Lance was quiet as he gazed up at the movie screen, paying little attention to the movie itself. Then he turned back to Kitty and gave her a soft kiss on the lips. "Like I said, you let _me_ worry about Rogue."

Kitty nodded in understanding as Lance pulled her into a hug. Things would work out one way or another.

**School Auditorium:**

"Scott, for the last time, Ah really don't care how Ah sound in this play. So what if Ah forget a few lines? It's not that big of a deal," said Rogue trying to keep herself from strangling the X-Man standing beside her on the stage. After the regular rehearsal had ended Rogue had somehow agreed to stay and practice her lines some more with Scott.

"Rogue, don't you care how the school thinks of you?" asked Scott looking up from the script.

"No."

Scott sighed. "How about your grade in this class? If you don't put any effort into your performance then it could mean a really bad grade."

"Mail it to meh then. Oh, ahn while you're at it, why don't ya mail a copy of the performance, 'cause Ah don't think Ah'll be there." Rogue tossed her copy of the script to the ground and turned to go when she felt a hand on her arm.

"Rogue, what's wrong? You've been acting strange all day." Scott pulled Rogue back towards him, but not forcing her to turn around.

Rogue bit her lip as she contemplated her thoughts. "Didja ever get the feeling that some things are beyond your control?" she murmured softly.

"All the time."

"How about the feeling that something that shouldn't happen _will_ happen because no matter how hard ya try, you cahn't change fate."

"That's how the world works, Rogue. You can't change the future."

"Then what do you do when ya know the most important person in your world is the last person you could ever trust?" Rogue turned around with tears in her eyes. "'Cause Ah've never felt so lost before, Scott. Ah cahn't trust anyone…Ah cahn't even trust mahself."

"Rogue…" Scott pulled Rogue into a hug, letting her cry into his shirt. "What's going on, Rogue? What is it you're not telling me?"

"Bad things are comin'. Ah'm so afraid of what will happen. It's all mah fault. Ah should never have been born. Mah powers are a curse; ahn innocent people will suffer 'cause of it."

Scott pulled away from Rogue gently, looking down at her tear stained face in hopes of finding a clue in her babbling. She looked back at him, fear and pain evident in her green eyes. She was hiding something from him, something darker and more dangerous than anything he had ever known.

"I told you once that you could tell me anything, Rogue. That hasn't changed because of a couple of battles. You're confused, you're scared, and you're hurting. Tell me what it is; I want to help you."

Rogue sniffed back more tears. "Ah want ta believe ya, Scott. Ah really do, but…Ah…Ah cahn't. Ah'm so sorry."

"Hey, hey, it's going to be alright. I promise." Scott placed a hand on Rogue's head, smoothing her hair and trying to avoid her skin at the same time. He gave her a small smile of comfort as he forced her eyes to meet his own. Time seemed to stand still as Scott lowered his face towards Rogue's. He heard her give a small gasp, but rather than reassure her he simply brought his lips down to meet hers.

The kiss was gentle, causing more tears to trickle down Rogue's face. Just as she felt the familiar tug of her powers starting up, Rogue broke the kiss, saving Scott from a potential draining. With a shake of her head, Rogue took a couple of steps backwards before turning to flee from the auditorium.

Scott watched her run, berating himself for taking advantage of her at a time like this. He had had a chance to connect with her, and had blown it for a single kiss. "Dammit!" he hollered kicking the scripts off the stage.

Rogue was right. _Some_thing was coming alright, but Scott would be the last one to know about it.

**A/N—Alright, I worked on this for the past two days. I hope it turned out alright. I wanted to kind of set up the events of the next two chapters, so I apologize that there isn't much with Rogue here. But the next two are all about her. I'll try and update ASAP. Thanks for being patient.**


	22. Snap

**Disclaimer: I still don't own this.**

**21-Snap**

Rogue paced back and forth across the porch nervously. Scott had kissed her. And to top things off she had not only let him, she had actually liked it. Now here she was one day later still thinking about it.

_Man, this is definitely not mah week. Lance is gonna kill meh._

Speaking of the devil, Lance pulled up in his jeep. He paused upon seeing her, and Rogue swore he looked ready to drive off again. Instead he got out.

"Hey, Roguey," he murmured quietly walking up the porch steps.

"Hey yourself. Ah feel like strangers—you've been busy lately."

Lance shrugged. "I know, and I'm sorry. I've been doing that damn school assignment. I need a good grade so I can pass with the usual D."

"Ah know…Ah just miss you," sighed Rogue wrapping her arms around his waist and burying her head in his chest. Lance smiled and put his arms around her. Truth be told, he missed her too.

"I'm almost done with the project. Once it's over with you'll be the first person to know, alright?" He pulled away from Rogue, avoiding her confused look.

"Sure, sugah."

"Okay then, I gotta get workin' on it then. We'll talk later." Lance disappeared into the boarding house, leaving Rogue to stare after him. The southern girl leaned against a porch beam with a frown. Lance hadn't even tried to kiss her. That was strange. It seemed as though he was avoiding her, or worse, blowing her off. With a growl Rogue headed down the steps and towards town. She didn't have time to deal with Lance. She'd talk to him later.

Right now Rogue needed to think. She stopped at the first convenience store and picked up a new pack of cigarettes. She lit one up and continued walking down the sidewalk, her mind awhirl. Mystique was still missing, and there hadn't been a phone call. Of course, if Sabertooth was to be believed, then Mystique was undercover for Magneto.

"It _has _been confirmed that Senator Edward Kelly is in fact missing. His plane vanished from radar only yesterday, and no word has been received about his whereabouts. Authorities claim there has been no debris found to indicate a plane crash, and that they are at loose ends in this developing case." Rogue paused outside the small shop to listen to the blaring television. The reporter moved on to talk about Senator Kelly and his family and his political aspirations, before returning to the breaking news of his disappearing act. Rogue shook her head and took a few steps away from the shop window. She pushed past a few people in a rush to get away.

"Oh no, no, no," she kept repeating to herself. Rogue ducked into a nearby alley and leaned against the brick wall trying to catch her breath. If Senator Kelly was missing, then Destiny had been right in her little prediction for the future. Rogue pressed the sleeve of her coat against her mouth and muffled her sobs. She dropped to the ground trying to deny the course of events.

Only one person could possibly know where Senator Kelly was: Mystique.

**The Other Side of Town:**

Scott shook his head as he and Jean listened to the news. They were in the mall with the rest of the X-Men, trying to clear their heads from the latest events linked to Magneto. Senator Kelly was missing—and so was Mystique. The Brotherhood of Mutants couldn't be trusted, and neither could Rogue.

"I don't get it, what use is Senator Kelly?" asked Scott.

Jean pursed her lips in thought. "I'm not sure, but I can guarantee you it won't be for a tea party. There's something sinister at work. Unless they plan on killing Senator Kelly, I don't know why else Magneto would kidnap him."

"Yo, Jean!" a deep voice boomed across the mall. Jean and Scott turned to see Duncan and Taryn waving at them. Jean and Scott waved back and watched as the two humans slowly headed towards them.

"Have you talked to Rogue since yesterday?" hissed Jean under her breath.

"No. And I'm not going to. She has to know what Magneto is up to, that's probably why she was so out of it yesterday," replied Scott. Duncan and Taryn were getting closer.

Jean turned to face her friend accusingly. "You're going to forget what happened? Just act like it didn't matter? Scott, I have a feeling that Rogue is being used. She's just a puppet—I don't think she would ever work for someone like Magneto. Maybe she's working for Mystique…but there is _definitely _something else going on. Rogue knows what the Brotherhood stands for…there has to be another reason why she's sticking around with them."

Scott sighed and turned to Jean one last time. "I'm tired of running around in a circle with Rogue. I think it's time I moved on." With those words Scott turned to greet Taryn and Duncan as they joined the pair.

"Scott, I'm so glad we bumped into you. I need some help shopping. Christmas is coming, and I just don't know what to get my brother. You're kind of like him, do you think you could help me pick out a gift?" cooed Taryn latching onto Scott's arm. The tall teen gave Taryn a small smile. This was one way of moving on.

Jean narrowed her eyes at her best friend and Scott. Of all the people to choose to use to get over another girl, Taryn was the last one Jean would have suspected. With a shake of her head, Jean blew up. "I can't believe you, Scott! I can't believe any of you for that matter. I'm out of here." Jean grabbed Scott's car keys out of his coat pocket and stormed away from her friends.

"Dude," started Duncan running a hand through his hair, "is it that time of the month already?"

Scott was silent as he watched Jean disappear. He knew where she was headed. Jean was going to find Rogue.

**Back to the Other Side of Town:**

Rogue was numb as she slowly trudged down the sidewalk. The winter breeze cut through her coat, hitting her body like a ton of bricks. But all she could think about was Senator Kelly, Mystique, Magneto, Lance, and Scott. Rogue wanted out. Out of everything.

_Maybe Ah should go back to Louisiana. Ah bet it ain't as cold in the winter._

She gave a bitter chuckle at the thought. Rogue passed a pay phone, and jumped when it began to ring. Looking around there wasn't another soul in the area. With a cautious air Rogue walked over to the phone and picked it up. She stared at it for a few minutes before lifting the receiver to her ear.

"Hello?" she asked.

Destiny's voice hit Rogue like a bucket of cold water. "Marie! You _have_ to get out of Bayville! It isn't safe for you anymore! You must run! Your fate is changing even as we speak. I beg of you, get out of Bayville if you value your life!"

"Huh? Destiny? What's goin' on? Does this have to do with Senator Kelly bein' missin'?" demanded Rogue suspiciously.

"Senator Kelly means nothing anymore, Marie. _He_ has a different fate, as do you. No, there is something even darker coming for you. Run! _Run!_" The line was cut off, and Rogue dropped the phone. She didn't know what Destiny had been babbling about, but she sure as hell wasn't going to stick around to find out.

Rogue half walked, half jogged down the sidewalk, and came to a complete halt as she came across Jean and Logan. The two X-Men seemed relieved and surprised to find Rogue, but neither showed it.

"Rogue, thank-god!" exclaimed Jean. "We've been looking for you everywhere."

"Red here thinks you're in some kind of trouble. Are ya?" growled Logan. Rogue looked back and forth between the X-Men and then glanced back down the sidewalk. In the distance she could still see the payphone.

"Ah…Ah…Ah don't know. Ah…" Rogue trailed off and wiped at the tears that had begun to fall down her face.

"Rogue, what's wrong? You've been acting so strange lately. Does it have to do with the disappearance of Senator Kelly?" asked Jean wishing she could just read Rogue's mind.

The brunette shook her head. "No! No, no, no. Why is this happenin' ta meh? What did Ah do to deserve this?" Rogue's words weren't directed to either Jean or Logan. She seemed to be talking to herself.

"What's going on, kid?" snapped Logan getting ready to shake the petite girl. Rogue looked up as if seeing him for the first time.

"Fate, Destiny. Ah dunno. Ah just don't know."

"Rogue!" The trio turned around to see Pietro, Fred and Toad headed for Rogue.

"What are ya doin' with these….oh, big chump." Toad lapsed into silence as Logan glared at the green boy.

"Ah don't know," murmured Rogue, her eyes filling with tears. Pietro instantly became over protective as he pulled Rogue into a hug.

"Hey now, don't let the nasty beastie make you cry. He can't help it if he's ugly."

"You wanna say that again, punk?" hissed Logan, his metal claws shooting out of his knuckles. Jean quickly stepped in between the two mutants.

"This isn't the time or place. Rogue needs help. Something's wrong."

Toad scratched his head as Rogue cried into Pietro's shirt. "Yo, Roguey, maybe we should head home. Freddy here can make some hot cocoa and brownies. That'll cheer ya right up."

Rogue looked up hopefully, wiping away her tears. "Really?" she murmured. Pietro and Toad quickly nodded. Anything to keep Rogue from crying.

"We can't go home now," said Fred with a frown. "Lance has a study date over."

Pietro's eyes widened just as Toad's jaw dropped. They had forgotten Kitty was over and that their job was to keep Rogue as far away from the boarding house as possible. Rogue's tears froze on her cheek as Fred's words sunk in.

"So _that's _his game," she muttered bitterly, pushing Pietro away.

"What the hell are you brats talkin' about?" insisted Logan gruffly.

Jean let out a small gasp as Rogue tore off her gloves. "Kitty!"

Rogue placed a hand on Pietro's face, draining him long enough to make the white haired boy stumble backwards. Then without another word she was gone like the speed of light.

"Red, you better get talkin'," ordered Logan.

"Kitty is Lance's study date."

"Shit."

Toad gulped as he watched Fred sling Pietro over a large shoulder. "Roguey's gonna kill Lance and Kitty. I've never seen her so pissed before."

Logan ran a hand over his face. "Come one, we better do damage control."

Jean looked at Fred, Toad, and Pietro before motioning them to get in Scott's car as Logan got back on his bike. There wasn't time to be picky about whom the enemy was. They were in a race to rescue Lance and Kitty from Rogue's fury.

**The Boarding House:**

Rogue flung the front door open as she stepped inside the house. On the couch, Lance quickly pushed Kitty off of him and to the ground as he caught sight of Rogue. Kitty scrambled to her feet, trying to smooth out her hair and keep as much distance between her and Rogue as was possible.

"Get out," said Rogue quietly.

"Huh?" asked Kitty.

"I said _get out_!" repeated Rogue raising her voice sharply. Kitty blinked twice before running out the still open front door. Lance cleared his voice nervously.

"Rogue…I can explain."

"Of course you cahn. You've been cheatin' on meh. For how long, Lance? How long?"

"I…uh…about a month now."

Rogue nodded her head. "Ah see. You think Ah'm stupid don't ya? Is that why you decided to cheat on meh?"

"No! Rogue, you're an amazing girl. I love you—"

"No! You cahn't say ya love meh when ya don't even know what love is! Lance, ya cheated on meh! Ah thought we were happy! What happened?"

Lance stood up, anger evident on his face as well. "Goddamn it, Rogue! You're the one always going off for hours at a time! What the hell am I supposed to think? You've been keeping secrets from me since the start! And you were the one always jawing on and on about truth and honesty!"

Rogue snorted. "Apparently it wouldn't have mattered. By the looks of it you're better off with Kitty. Does she make ya happy, Lance? Does she tell ya everything goin' ohn in that little head of hers? Ah'm sure you two will be happy together…it's not like she's the enemy or anythin'."

"And what the hell does that mean?" snapped Lance.

"Well, considerin' the fact that you had a conniption fit when Ah was with Scott Ah'm a little surprised you cahn stand bein' with Kitty. She's part of the X-Men. She's the enemy, Lance. Or did you forget all that because of a few kisses?" shot back Rogue acerbically.

"I don't get you, Rogue. You've shut me out ever since you went to the damn rally! You never let me in!"

"You want in, Lance? Ah'll let ya in! Mystique is up ta no good! Senator Kelly is missin'! The X-Men think Ah have somethin' to do with all of it! Ah've got some crazy mutant called Destiny callin' meh wherever Ah go ta warn meh about somethin' called fate! Ah trusted you with all mah heart, Lance, ahn now Ah don't know who ta trust! Not the X-Men, not the Brotherhood—Ah've got no one. Ah thought you were always gonna be there for meh, but Ah was wrong."

"Rogue…I'm sorry. Things have changed though. You've changed—I've changed! I'm tired of playing ring-a-round the rosy with you." Lance dropped his hands helplessly to his side as he and Rogue stared at one another.

"Ah hate you," she whispered with a choked sob. Lance reached out his hands to pull Rogue into a hug, but the southern mutant took a few steps away from him. "Ah want nothin' ta do with you anymore. Ah cahn't stay here," continued Rogue hoarsely.

"Rogue—" Lance's words were cut off the second Mystique stepped through the open doorway. She took one glance at Rogue's tearstained face before turning to Lance.

"What the hell did you do, Alvers? I trusted you to take care of her!" hissed Mystique. Rogue looked over at Mystique, her eyes wide with surprise. Then, without warning, Rogue threw herself into Mystique's arms, crying her heart out.

Mystique was startled, but she wrapped her arms around the girl in an attempt to calm her down. "Shush, it's okay. It will all be okay."

"He lied to meh. They all lied ta meh," murmured Rogue sniffing.

Lance clenched his hands into fists. "It was a mistake. I'm sorry, Mystique. I screwed up, I know that. But—"

"No buts, Lance. I asked you to watch over Rogue, to keep her safe. And part of keeping her safe is keeping her content. You failed in what I thought would be a simple job. I should have known better than to let her date you. You've been nothing but a failure since you got here. Don't think I didn't hear about the Thanksgiving fiasco! Dammit, Lance! What the hell is your problem?" demanded Mystique.

"Fuck you! You haven't even been here for last few weeks. What the hell do you know? If you were so worried about Rogue then why didn't you take her with you?" retorted Lance darkly.

"You're right—that was my mistake leaving her here. And I'm going to fix it right now. Rogue, we're leaving."

"What?" questioned Rogue letting go of Mystique to study her mother carefully.

The blue shape shifter pursed her lips together. "We're leaving. Me and you, we're getting out of Bayville for a while. Apparently I can't leave you here with Bozo the clown, so I'll watch over you myself."

"Really?" Rogue looked hopeful as she considered Mystique's words. Lance narrowed his eyes.

"I don't think that's such a good idea," he muttered after a minute. Mystique never gave up that easily in a fight. And she _never _took the blame for something.

Rogue glared at Lance. "Fuck you. Ah didn't think you cared," she spat out. Lance grabbed Rogue's gloved hand.

"I know I've screwed up pretty bad, but do you honestly think you can trust Mystique right now? There's something going on, I don't know what, but I bet you it ain't good," insisted Lance with a quiet voice. Mystique made a face but kept her mouth shut. Rogue looked back and forth between her mother and ex-boyfriend, weighing both potential outcomes. She knew deep in her heart that Mystique was probably up to no good and that somehow Rogue would get caught up in it just like she had been as Magneto's lackey. But the other part of her heart had trusted Lance once upon a time and had been stomped into the ground as a result. As much as Rogue wanted to think clearly, she desperately wanted to believe that perhaps her mother really did care about her well being. And besides, didn't Destiny say her old premonition was irrelevant now?

"Go ta hell," said Rogue pulling away from Lance. "Ah'm getting out of here."

"Good, lets go," agreed Mystique with a small smile. She led Rogue out of the house and over to her car parked in the street. Rogue got in as Lance stood out on the porch.

"You're making a big mistake, Rogue," he called out.

"Cahn't be as bad as the one Ah made about you," returned Rogue as she shut the car door. Mystique got in behind the wheel and started the car. Lance watched as the vehicle disappeared from sight just as Logan pulled up on his bike. Lance warily watched as the older mutant got off the bike and marched over to him.

"Now what the—" Lance didn't finish his sentence as Logan grabbed him by the collar of the shirt.

"Where is she?" growled the X-Man just as Jean pulled up with Scott's car. Fred, Toad, and a weakened Pietro bounded out of the car with the red head hot on their heels.

"Where's Rogue?" asked Pietro.

"She left!" answered Lance gasping for air. "She just took off with Mystique."

"I'm going to kill you!" screeched Toad tackling the other teen to the ground the second Logan let go of him.

"Get off me!"

Jean glanced at Logan, noticing the look of concern on his face. "Do you think she's walking into a trap?"

Logan nodded. "There's nothing else to it. Mystique doesn't play nice. I have a hunch she and Magneto have some big plans for Rogue and the Senator."

"What?" Lance threw Toad off him and got back on his feet, rounding on the two X-Men. "What's going on?"

"We don't know," replied Jean truthfully. "But Rogue was babbling about the mutant Destiny earlier. I think Rogue knows what's going on, even if she doesn't want to believe it. But she's not thinking straight right now either."

"Mystique wouldn't hurt Rogue, would she?" asked Lance his voice softening as he realized what he had done, hurting Rogue enough to make her run away.

"Depends on what the old tin can wants with Rogue," muttered Logan.

**Hours Later:**

Rogue wasn't sure exactly where she was. All she remembered was Mystique driving them to a helicopter, and after that, well, Rogue had slept the entire trip. She was emotionally drained from the day's events. But she had woken up again as the helicopter finally landed.

"Where are we?" called out Rogue.

"Headquarters. Just for a few days. We'll be moving somewhere else later."

"Headquarters?"

"Yeah, Magneto is here. Just some work I have to finish up. You don't have to do anything, don't worry," chuckled Mystique as she helped Rogue out of the helicopter. Rogue nodded, but she still had a sick feeling in her gut. She had a bad feeling about everything now. Mystique led Rogue inside a stone building and down several hallways before coming into what appeared to be Magneto's office.

"Aw, Rogue," murmured the leader with a soothing voice. "I'm so glad you came to join us. Come, let me show you around."

Rogue was silent as Magneto placed a hand on her shoulders and led back into the hallway. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Sabertooth prowling back and forth. He seemed on edge. Mystique also seemed unusually jittery. She kept wringing her hands as she and Sabertooth followed Rogue and Magneto. If Rogue had felt nervous before, she was flat out scared now.

The small group walked down a set of stairs leading towards the very bowels of the headquarters. Magneto opened up a small doorway and ushered Rogue inside. Looking around she could feel her heart beat faster. They seemed to be in what could be considered the dungeons. A small whimper broke Rogue's thoughts. She glanced around and found the source locked up in one of the cells with a barred window overlooking the ocean.

"Senator Kelly?" gasped Rogue kneeling down on the ground, her hands gripping the bars tightly. The Senator looked up from his corner, but didn't move. His eyes were wide with fear, and his face and body were dripping wet. It seemed Magneto _was_ the source behind the Senator's disappearance. But why?

Rogue felt a pair of strong hands lift her up off the ground. Looking up she caught sight of Sabertooth with a pained expression on his face. His grip was iron clad as he pushed her into the barred cell right beside the Senator's. Rogue was speechless as Mystique shut the cell door and locked it. Everything was starting to make sense now.

"This is why Ah was so important in the Big Easy," whispered Rogue as she wrapped her gloved hands around the bars separating her from the three other mutants.

"You were always important, Rogue," answered Magneto softly. "That's why I kept you so close. Please, don't be upset. Think of it as a chance to help your fellow mutants move out of the shadows."

Rogue followed Magneto's gaze over to the trembling Senator, her mind recalling Destiny's words. _You will become a vessel to wipe out the human population._

"You turned him into a mutant," she murmured with understanding.

"He is the first of many, Rogue. And _you _will help the rest of the world become like us." With those words Magneto swept out of the dungeons with Sabertooth and Mystique right behind him. Rogue barely noticed them go as she knelt down by the bars between her and the Senator.

"Ah'm so sorry, Senator. Ah'm so sorry." Rogue broke into a fresh set of tears as she leaned her head against the bars. She walked directly into Magneto's web.

Rogue was now a prisoner.

**A/N: I know this took way longer than it should have. Midterms appeared out of nowhere, and I couldn't seem to find time to write. Hopefully the next chapter won't take so long. Sorry.**


	23. Prisoner

**Disclaimer: I still don't own this.**

**22-Prisoner**

A soft breeze filtered through the dungeons, awakening Rogue from a sleepless slumber. She groaned as she struggled to her feet. A stone floor was hardly the best place to sleep. Rogue glanced over at the Senator in his cell. He had moved to stare out the barred window.

"I never thought that I would see the day when I would become what I feared the most," he murmured upon noticing Rogue moving closer to the bars that separated them from each other.

"We aren't all bad," she whispered hoarsely.

The Senator gave a dry laugh. "I guess not considering the fact that you're a prisoner too."

Rogue sighed. "Senator, the world is only afraid of what they cahn't understand. No one cares what it's like for us. Fear is what separates the humans from the mutants. If you were ta lock us up, it would be the Holocaust all over again. You would become no better than the Nazi's. Is that really the best way for you to go?"

"I honestly don't know anymore. This Magneto is a source of evil…and yet, I must believe that he is a mutual enemy for both humans and mutants."

"He is, sometimes it takes us mutants longer ta realize that fact. But other times his words make more sense than those ushering peace. The world isn't ready for mutants yet. Ah don't know if they ever will be."

"I don't think our world will _ever_ be ready," replied the Senator leaning his forehead against the window bars. Rogue silently watched as the Senator's head molded to fit through the bars.

"Humans shouldn't become mutants to accept us, they should already have compassion in their hearts," continued the Senator as he slowly, and painfully pulled the rest of his body through the bars of the window. He turned around to glance back at Rogue who was still inside her own cell.

"Ah think this might be one of the few times Ah agree with ya, Senator," said Rogue calmly.

"I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I don't think I should leave you here to face that man alone. From what I've heard, you're in more danger than I am."

Rogue gave the Senator a tiny smile. "Ah probably am, but don't worry, Ah cahn take care of mahself."

"I want to help you…" the Senator's words trailed off as footsteps could be heard in the distance heading down towards the dungeons.

"Then do meh a favor, Senator. Find Professor Xavier in Bayville…he ahn his X-Men are the only ones who cahn help you…ahn maybe meh. Ah don't know what they're capable of. Ah've only ever fought against them. Go, now, before they cahn catch you." Rogue closed her eyes, fighting back the tears as the Senator disappeared from sight.

"What the hell?" cried out Sabertooth jerking the Senator's cell door off its hinges. He rushed over to the window in time to see the Senator disappear into the ocean below. The tawny colored beast glanced over at Rogue. "You help him escape?"

"Does it really matter?" shot back Rogue, her green eyes flashing with anger. "Ah thought Ah was the one y'all wanted!"

Magneto spoke as he entered the dungeon, motioning for Sabertooth to leave. "You are the most important mutant in the world, Rogue. Your powers are proof of that. You could have been invincible…unstoppable…immortal."

"Forgive meh for not jumpin' for joy over here," snorted Rogue derisively. "You're gonna kill meh, aren't ya?"

"Naturally. My powers will be transferred into you, and then _you _will become a martyr for mutant-kind."

"Ah don't care about other mutants. Ah only care about mahself…why cahn't you people just leave meh alone?"

"My dear Rogue, this is the only way for peace."

"Yeah, well the Senator didn't look too hot before he jumped out the window. What happens if he dies? If your stupid machine doesn't work?"

Magneto raised an eyebrow at Rogue before turning to leave as well. "I guess we'll find out, won't we?"

**The X-Mansion:**

Professor Xavier studied the four mutants in front of him carefully. Logan. Ororo, Jean, and Scott were silent. Rogue was missing. Senator Kelly was still gone. Mystique and Sabertooth were most likely with them. And Magneto was oddly quiet.

"It's a goddamn calm before the storm," growled Logan pulling a cigar out of his pocket and lighting it up. For once, Ororo didn't chide him for his lack of respect for the rest of the group.

"Rogue must be important," murmured Ororo thoughtfully. "Her powers could be a great asset if used in a particular manner."

Jean frowned. "Who would Magneto want Rogue to drain? The Senator? I'm sure he could kill Senator Kelly himself if we he really wanted to."

"It doesn't make sense," agreed Scott finally speaking up. "None of this makes any sense."

"No," said the Professor with a sigh. "It never makes sense at first. Magneto hasn't made many moves in the last few weeks. In fact, he hasn't done much since Rogue was found."

"Maybe we should get a hold of Destiny," suggested Jean. "Rogue kept babbling on about her…I bet she has some kind of idea as to what's going on."

Scott looked ready to say something more when the doorbell rang, disrupting the small group. Logan made a face as he moved towards the office door with the others on his heels.

"I got it!" announced Bobby sliding to a stop in front of the large oak door. He pulled it open and gave a strangled cry of shock as a soaking wet Senator Kelly fell into his arms.

"You've gotta be shittin' me," muttered Logan as rushed over to help Bobby hold the Senator up.

"I came…for help…please…the girl…is in…danger…" the Senator gasped out the words as the mutants herded him down the hall and into a small medical lab.

"Senator, can you tell us what happened to you?" asked Ororo as the older man was lifted onto the bed.

"He turned…me into…a mutant...he will…kill…the girl….so sweet…so innocent…and so…brave…" His eyes fluttered shut, as his breathing became ragged. Ororo glanced down at the Professor and together they set about setting up the lab equipment. Scott, Jean, Logan, and Bobby stood by the wall and out of the way.

**Magneto's Headquarters:**

Rogue didn't turn her head as the door to the dungeons opened and someone slipped inside. She had a feeling she knew who it was. Rogue continued to stare at the brick wall of her cell, her back still leaning against the bars.

Finally, Rogue decided to break the silence. "What d'ya want?" she demanded.

"I came to see how you were," answered Mystique softly.

Rogue snorted. "That's rich."

"Rogue, I never wanted any of this to happen…you don't know what this is doing to me." Mystique's words pleaded with Rogue as the shape shifter clutched the bars. Rogue jumped to her feet and whirled around to face the blue woman.

"Ya know, Ah think Ah have a pretty good idea how ya feel 'bout this whole thing. You have one obligation, Mystique, and that is yourself. You don't care 'bout anyone but your own goddamn skin."

"That's not true, Rogue."

"Isn't it, though? If ya really cared about meh, then why did ya give meh up at birth?" snapped Rogue darkly.

Mystique jumped in surprise. "Excuse me?" she asked.

"Ah know the truth, Mystique. Ah know you're mah mother. Mah birth mother."

"How…how do you know that?"

"Destiny."

"No, no, no…why would she tell you that?" murmured Mystique to herself, backing away from the cell.

Rogue narrowed her eyes. "It's amazin' how ya cahn just hand meh over to Magneto. Sentenced ta death by mah own mother. That's gotta be one for the record books."

"You don't know anything about me, Rogue. You don't know what my life has been like. When you were born, you were normal…how could I raise you like that? I'm no good with kids. I never have been, and I never will be."

"You lied to meh from the very beginning, didn't you? That wasn't Jeanie in New Orleans tryin' to attack meh, was it? It was you! You betrayed meh, Mystique! Ah trusted you. Ah believed in you. Ah stayed in the Brotherhood long after Ah found out you were mah mother. But all along, Ah've been a fool. A goddamn, stupid _fool_!"

"Rogue—"

"Ah hate you! _Ah hate you!_ How could you do this ta meh? Why? Don't you love meh? Ah'm your daughter!" screeched Rogue grabbing the bars of her cell and shaking them. Mystique averted her eyes to the ground with tears streaming down her face.

"I'm sorry. I really am sorry…you're my daughter, Rogue, but you have to understand--"

"Ah don't want to understand! Ah want mah life back!" Rogue lapsed into silence watching as Mystique wiped away tears from her face. There was no turning back now.

"If I could change what I've done, Rogue, I would. You have to believe me."

"You better hope that Magneto really does kill meh today, 'cause if not, Ah'm gonna make your life a livin' hell from here ohn out," vowed Rogue bitterly. Mystique looked up, and for the first time in her life saw her daughter for who she really was.

**Back at the X-Mansion:**

"It seems that Senator Kelly was indeed speaking the truth," announced the Professor gravely.

"Magneto actually turned him into a mutant?" asked Jean sinking down into a seat. They were back in the Professor's office, trying to formulate a plan.

Ororo nodded. "He now has the power to change his body into any shape…unfortunately, his body cannot handle the mutation. His cells are falling apart. The Senator is dying."

"You can't fix this, Chuck?" demanded Logan with a deep frown.

"I'm afraid not," replied Xavier. "The mutation is unnatural—brought about by radiation meant to trigger mutations in normal human beings. Magneto has no idea that human cells cannot handle the effects, thereby breaking down immediately."

"So what does this mean?" questioned Scott running a hand through his hair nervously.

"It means," murmured Ororo, "that Magneto is planning on turning all humans into mutants, but unknowingly he will be killing them."

"Great, so what does the old tin can want with Rogue?" Logan voiced the question on everyone's minds.

Xavier closed his eyes as he answered. "Magneto is going to transfer his powers to Rogue so that she will utilize the machine. From what I was able to gather from the Senator's thoughts, Magneto became very weak turning Senator Kelly into a mutant…to use the machine long enough to radiate the entire planet could very well kill him."

"You mean he's going to kill Rogue instead, using the machine?" gasped Jean, her hand going to her mouth in shock.

"Yes. Rogue was used by the Brotherhood. They kept her on their side long enough to gain her trust, and now her loyalty will be repaid with death."

"This mean we're gonna have a Magneto type barbecue tonight?" asked Logan, his eyes lighting up at the thought as his claws popped out of his knuckles.

"We must save Rogue and put a stop to Magneto and his machine. Logan, you, Ororo, Jean and Scott will go after Rogue and Magneto," directed Xavier.

"Where to?" murmured Scott.

"From what the Senator can remember, you will be headed towards the Statue of Liberty," answered the Professor. The mutants stood up, ready to leave, just as Bobby burst into the office, gasping for breath. The blonde teen was soaking wet.

"Kelly's dead," he announced.

"Then we don't have much time," said Xavier.

**Brotherhood Boarding House:**

Kitty and Lance were seated on the porch swing, each as quiet as a mouse. Lance hadn't said a word since Rogue had left with Mystique. He hadn't even so much as looked at Kitty since she showed back up at the boarding house.

The rest of the Brotherhood was out. Toad had gone off to pickpocket people shopping at the mall; Fred had gone out to eat at a local bakery; and Pietro, well, no one was quite sure where he had disappeared to, but Lance had a hunch he was out looking for his dad.

"Lance, I know this is like really hard on you right now. But you can't blame yourself. Rogue made the ultimate decision to leave," said Kitty softly.

"Yeah, but she made that decision because of me," replied Lance leaning forward with his elbows on his knees.

"I know. The X-Men are going to find her, you know?"

"I know, but it should me saving her…not the X-Men."

Kitty nodded absently. Truth be told, she felt like crap. It was partly her fault too that Rogue had gone off into the trap with Mystique. If anything happened to her, Kitty would never forgive herself. All she wanted now was to make peace with Rogue and get to know the southern girl.

"You all right?" asked Lance looking over at the petite brunette. Kitty gave him a small smile as tears slid down her cheeks. Lance swallowed back his own tears and pulled Kitty into his arms. Too much was happening at once.

"I love you, Lance," whispered Kitty into his shirt.

"I love you too," murmured Lance into her hair. And finally Lance let go of Rogue in his heart. There was nothing left for him to do…except maybe kill Mystique. But that could wait until he knew Rogue was safe and sound. Because no matter what, Lance would always consider Rogue a member of his team.

**The Statue of Liberty:**

Rogue sat still, there was no use in fighting…she was stuck. A metal collar was wound around her neck, and her arms were securely fastened behind her back. Magneto had complete control of her now.

"Set her up," ordered Magneto glancing over at Sabertooth. The other mutant grabbed Rogue by the shoulders and pushed her over to the large metal contraption resting atop the torch of Lady Liberty. Rogue felt the binding around her wrists loosen. Sabertooth quickly and efficiently tied her wrists to the metal handles that Rogue would be forced to use to start up the machine.

"This is a stupid plan," she spat out glaring at Magneto. Both Sabertooth and Mystique ignored her.

"I'm sorry that you think so," replied the leader.

"D'ya honestly think you'll get away with this? D'ya think that once everyone becomes a mutant they'll revere you as some kinda saint? Ah bet they won't. Ah bet those poor people are gonna want ta kill ya for what you're doin' ta them."

"It is most unfortunate that you will not be here to see it, then," chuckled Magneto in amusement.

Rogue smiled. "Hey, Ah may become a martyr today, but Ah'll be seein' you down in hell before long, Mags."

"Foolish child." Magneto turned to his lackeys expectantly upon noticing a fog beginning to grow around the statue. "Get moving. The X-Men are here, I will not have them stop me."

"We'll handle it," promised Sabertooth as he and Mystique retreated back down towards the observation bay in the statue's head.

"I'll handle the Wolverine," murmured Mystique. "You can have the weather witch."

"I smell two more."

"Let Magneto handle them, I won't be bothered by teenagers."

Sabertooth paused inside the observation bay to watch Mystique disappear down the stairs, her shape shifting as she went. He would wait here. There was no use looking for a fight…that wasn't his job. He needed to be close by to make sure Rogue didn't die.

Mystique made her way down the stairs and into the base of the statue. Coming through the front doors were four of the X-Men. Wolverine stepped in front of his teammates, his claws pointing straight at Mystique as she shifted into Rogue.

"Is this who you're looking for?" she murmured with a small chuckle before returning to her naturally blue form. "That's a shame, Wolverine. I thought we could catch up on the old times."

"Only thing I'm gonna catch up on is your death," growled Wolverine swiping at Mystique's head. The blue woman easily ducked the swipe and sent a powerful kick at the back of his knees, knocking him on all fours.

Storm, Jean and Cyclops edged past the feuding pair and towards the staircase leading up to the observation deck. Storm went first, motioning for the younger ones to follow slowly.

Sabertooth was ready for Storm the second she placed her foot onto the top step. He wrapped a large hand around her neck, lifting her off the ground. Storm tried to pull Sabertooth's hand away from her neck, to no avail. She could feel the claws digging into her skin, warm blood trickling down Sabertooth's fingers.

"Cat got your tongue?" he hissed with satisfaction as he watched the dark skinned woman gasp for breath. "Too bad. We could have been good together, you and me."

"Not…in…this…life…time…" shot back Storm, her eyes going white. Sabertooth narrowed his eyes as he slowly realized what she was going. But by then a strong wind was gusting through the observation deck and thunder rumbling in the sky, supported by flashes of lightning. Sabertooth glanced out into the sky, noticing for the first time how close he was to the outside.

Magneto noticed the brewing storm with disgust. His lackeys were useless. The gray haired leader turned to look at Rogue. She had tears streaming down her face as she struggled to break free from her bonds.

"Please," she begged in between sobs, "please don't kill meh! Ah don't wanna die! Ah'm not ready yet! Oh gawd, this cahn't be happenin'! Help meh! Someone help meh!"

"I'm afraid your time has run out, m'dear. Don't fear, the pain will go away and all you will feel will be freedom—freedom from your curse, Rogue. Isn't that what you wanted?"

"No! Stay away from meh!" shrieked Rogue trying to back as far away from Magneto as possible.

"I'm sorry, Rogue. Forgive me," murmured Magneto gripping her face with his bare hands. Rogue tried to pull away, but she could already feel herself draining the master of metal. With a strangled cry Rogue's eyes widened as her mind was clouded with images from Magneto. The older mutant finally let go and stumbled to the base of the machine, watching wearily as Rogue unwilling let loose his powers of magnetism. Her hands clamped down on the handles of the machine, starting it up. The rings around her began to spin faster and faster as Rogue tried with all her might to break contact with the machine.

But it was useless. Rogue felt her mind darkening as her life slowly drained out of her body. With one last bought of energy Rogue let loose a scream that seemed to penetrate the entire statue, inside and out. And then, Rogue felt herself close her eyes for the last time. She had lost the battle. The human race was about to be destroyed.

Down at the base of the statue, Wolverine and Mystique were still fighting. By now the two were covered in scratches and bruises.

"Give up?" taunted Mystique with a smirk.

"Not on your life lady," retorted Wolverine blocking punches with the palms of his hands. Just then, Rogue's scream echoed throughout the statue startling the two mutants. Mystique looked up with apprehension and fear slashing through her soul. Wolverine took the minor distraction to send his claws through her gut. Mystique's yellow eyes widened in surprise, and then clouded over as she dropped to the ground.

"Women," he muttered retracting his claws and turning to run up the staircase.

On the observation deck, Rogue's scream was louder. Sabertooth jumped in surprise at the pain and anguish of her voice, letting go of Storm. The woman dropped to the ground breathing in ragged breaths of air as Cyclops and Jean stepped onto the platform. Sabertooth was halfway out the window when Cyclops shot him with a laser beam, knocking the beast off balance and flailing into the waters below.

"Where is she?" called out Wolverine as he joined his companions on the observation deck. The X-Men looked out the windows and up at the torch. There they could see an unconscious Rogue, and a visibly weakened Magneto. Surrounding the torch was a bright light—the radiation was forming and gearing up to flow down and out across the world.

"We gotta stop the machine," stated Cyclops readying himself to blast the moving rings.

"No!" shouted Jean pulling his hand away from his visor. "You might hit her."

"Then what do we do?"

"Get me up there," said Wolverine.

"Are you crazy?" demanded Storm glancing at him sharply.

"That kid is gonna die if we don't stop her!" Wolverine locked eyes with Storm. After a minute she nodded reluctantly.

"I can start another wind, but I don't know if it will get you up to Rogue. I can't control it that way."

"Don't matter; get me close enough and I'll do the rest. Make sure the old tin can doesn't try any funny stuff," replied Wolverine wryly. He climbed out onto the ledge of the window as Storm started another fast paced wind. Wolverine was soon flying out into the sky and towards the torch. He shot down a fist, his claws extended as he sliced through one of the moving rings. The wind vanished and Wolverine toppled down in front of Rogue. The other two rings were still going strong, but Rogue was unconscious.

"Looks like your game's over, Tin Can!" hollered Wolverine raising his claws over his head. He frowned as he felt Magneto use the last of his powers to momentarily pause the X-Men.

"No," muttered Magneto desperately. "No." His outstretched arm wavered feebly as he exerted his energy into stopping Wolverine, but it was too late. Below him Cyclops shot another laser beam into Magneto's back, sending the old man reeling to the ground unmoving. Wolverine's arm went out and sliced another moving ring. It broke in half, and knocked the last ring off balance. Wolverine reached out and pulled Rogue into his arms to shield her from the exploding metal as the machine finally came to a complete halt. The bright light vanished, and the sky became dark once more.

Wolverine gathered Rogue close to him and quickly sliced her bonds free. He gently shook her, but she didn't move. Peering down closer, Wolverine realized that Rogue wasn't breathing.

"Oh no. No, no, no," he murmured to himself. "Come on kid, wake up. You can't die on us now. Rogue?"

But there was no answer. Rogue was gone. Wolverine shook his head, blinking back the tears that were threatening to form in his eyes. He tore off a glove and smoothed out her brown hair, that now sported two white streaks. He placed a hand on her cheek and prayed that something would happen.

After several long minutes Wolverine felt Rogue's powers jolt back to life. His own powers of healing flowed into Rogue, as well as his energy. Rogue's eyes widened in shock and she pulled away as the older mutant dropped to the ground unconscious.

Rogue looked around, her eyes full of fear. It was over. It was all over. And yet, Rogue wasn't happy. Her entire world had just crumbled before her very eyes, and she was alone once again.

**A/N—Alright, so here's another update for the weekend. I'll try and get the next chapter up later in the week. Hope this one turned out alright. Enjoy.**


	24. Aftermath

**Disclaimer: Obviously I don't own this stuff.**

**23-Aftermath**

The mansion was deathly quiet. Outside beneath the moonlit sky, crickets could be heard chirping against a soft breeze. From somewhere deep inside the giant house a grandfather clock chimed three times indicating that it was still too early for a living soul to be awake. And yet, in the infirmary Rogue clutched the covers around her thin shoulders as she sat beside a window looking outside.

It had been four days since the Liberty Island incident, and Rogue was still awake. She feared sleep. Every time she closed her eyes unbidden images from life in a Polish concentration camp during the Nazi regime would haunt her soul. Other times, all Rogue could see or hear, even when she was awake, was the horrible machine whirling overhead.

And then there were other images—ones she didn't want to relive. Rogue could still feel the metal beneath her skin; she could still feel it draining the life right out of her; and for one tiny moment, Rogue had felt death—and then just as quickly she had been brought back to reality. Rogue had returned to solitude and fear…and a broken heart that left her lost more than anything else.

All that Rogue could really remember after she had regained consciousness was seeing Logan on the ground. Then she had been pulled into Scott's reassuring arms, whispering that everything would be okay. Then Jean was hugging her and helping her back inside the Statue of Liberty as Scott and Ororo lugged Logan after them. And then just as quickly Rogue was at Xavier's Mansion being greeted by the bald headed leader. Since that moment she had been in the infirmary. The first day she had ignored her own needs to watch as Logan healed himself. It was because of him that she was alive.

But after Logan had been cleared as normal, Rogue had retreated back into her shell. She refused to speak to anyone. She hardly ate any of the food that was brought down to her. And she never slept.

In the immediate days after the "incident" Rogue had learned a few details on the whereabouts of her former team. Magneto had been captured and was now locked up in a cell with no metal whatsoever. Mystique had shifted into a human form in order to be treated at a local hospital—and then she had simply vanished into thin air. Sabertooth was also missing, but more than likely alive as no body had been found in the ocean. And as for the Brotherhood, well, they were at the boarding house reeling in shock from the latest turn of events.

And then yesterday the late Senator Edward Kelly had been confirmed dead by "anonymous" sources. A memorial service was currently in the works by his son, Edward Kelly Jr., the newly appointed Principal of Bayville High School. Rogue wasn't sure if life could get any worse.

With a sigh Rogue leaned her forehead against the cool window pane. Her breath fogged up the glass as she studied the stars in the sky. "This place is turning my head to mush," she muttered to herself. "There has got to be another way to live."

"Can't sleep either?" came a voice from the shadows. Rogue rolled her eyes and turned to watch as Kurt stepped into view.

"Checkin' up ohn meh, blue?" she countered bitterly.

Kurt smiled sheepishly. "Just concerned. Everyone knows that you haven't slept since you got here. Are you alright?"

Rogue raised an eyebrow and snorted in derision. "'Course Ah am. It's not everyday Ah'm used as a metal conductor in an attempt ta destroy the human race. Ah'm doin' great. How 'bout you?"

"Sorry I asked," murmured Kurt flinching at Rogue's intended sarcasm.

"Did ya want somethin'?"

"I…no. We're worried about you—especially Bobby. I think he's going to make a hole in the floor with all the pacing he does these days."

"Then put him in the freezer," replied Rogue making a face. She didn't want to deal with anymore boys and their crushes…she was still reeling from the whole Lance fiasco.

"Why don't you sleep, Rogue?"

"Why do you sleep?"

"Rogue," Kurt shook his head, waiting for an answer. "Something's wrong, and I don't think that it has anything to do with what happened on Liberty Island. You've been acting strange for over a month now."

"Ah don't think that it's any of your business." Rogue turned her back on Kurt to stare outside once more. Kurt gave a frustrated sigh and then teleported out of the infirmary. Rogue wiped away a tear, refusing to let any more fall. She was so tired of this...helpless feeling. She had been betrayed by her boss, her boyfriend, her mother—it was more than she could handle. But Rogue knew one thing for sure.

She wanted revenge.

**Later That Morning:**

"And how are we feeling this morning?" questioned Ororo cheerfully as she entered the infirmary. Rogue glanced up from her spot by the window. She hadn't moved since her talk with Kurt earlier. Ororo mentally noted the dark bags under Rogue's eyes. The child still wasn't sleeping.

"Cahn Ah leave yet?" asked Rogue dully. Her mind was beginning to feel the effects of staying awake for so many days. She ran a hand through her hair, tugging at a white strand absently. The color was starting to grow on her.

"I think you should take a shower, get dressed, and have some breakfast today," replied Ororo placing a towel and change of clothing on top of Rogue's bed.

Rogue glanced at the items. "Then cahn Ah leave?"

"Where will you go?"

"Ah dunno, somewhere—anywhere. Bayville isn't mah cup of tea. You know what Ah mean?"

"What are you afraid of, Rogue? Magneto is behind bars, and both Mystique and Sabertooth have gone into hiding. You've broken away from the Brotherhood, everything will be okay now," murmured Storm trying to catch the southern girl's eye. Rogue looked down at the floor.

"Ah ain't afraid of anythin'. Ah just want ta control mah life again. But not here," said Rogue after a moment of silence. Ororo nodded slowly before retreating from the room. Rogue waited until the older woman was gone before walking over to the bed. She knew the X-Men wouldn't let her go that easily. Rogue still had powers making her the most wanted mutant around.

"Damn freaks," she growled to herself as she clutched the towel and clothing to her chest. With a dark glare at her surroundings, Rogue made her way to the adjourning bathroom. Maybe the water would straighten out her mind. Maybe it would wash away her fears.

It was thirty-five minutes later when Rogue emerged from the bathroom. But she didn't feel any better. Her head ached, but mostly from the lack of sleep and food. Rogue grabbed her black coat off the bed and pulled it on just as Logan stepped into the infirmary.

"Glad to see you're up," acknowledged the gruff X-Man with a sharp nod.

Rogue frowned. "Playin' babysitter too? Ah ain't gonna run out ohn y'all. Ah ain't exactly in the best shape at the moment, in case ya forgot."

"Hard not to notice, kid. I came to make sure you got to breakfast safe and sound. Now let's go, there's a whole pack of hungry teens upstairs getting ready to eat my food."

"Ah'm not hungry," protested Rogue softly. She really didn't want to face the others. These were the people she had fought against, people she had tormented and one in particular who had stolen Lance from her. Considering her foul mood, Rogue figured it would be better if she stayed as far away from the X-Men as possible.

"I don't take no for an answer," snapped Logan taking Rogue by the arm and dragging her after him.

"Hey! Let go of meh! Ah don't want ta eat! Are you even listenin' ta meh? Don't you get it?" shrieked Rogue pulling free from Logan's grasp and halting both mutants in their tracks. "Ah'm the enemy! Ah've done things that cahn never be forgivin'! Ah cahn't face them! Ah cahn't handle the looks…the awkward silence…Ah'm not…Ah'm not ready." The last of her words her caught up in a quiet sob as Rogue pressed a gloved hand to her mouth.

Logan sighed and waited patiently for Rogue to pull herself together. There was a bond between them now. Rogue trusted him more than anyone else in the mansion, and he was probably the only one who knew what she was going through. Being alone for so long, whether voluntary or involuntary would get to a person once they were forced to come to terms with a whole new lifestyle—one with people the direct opposite of themselves.

After a few more minutes of silence Logan spoke up. "Just give it a try, would ya? That's all I'm askin'. If you can't handle it then you can leave. I won't push it—Chuck won't push it—no one will."

"Chuck?" asked Rogue in confusion, wiping her tears away.

"Yeah, the Professor. You know, the baldy?" replied Logan with a grin. Rogue gave a small chuckle. Her green eyes darted around the hall way with mild interest, taking in the famous paintings and various plants decorating the narrow way.

"Ah'll…Ah'll try it," started Rogue quietly, glancing up at Logan. "But Ah'm not makin' any promises."

Logan held up his hands in agreement and then motioned for Rogue to follow him. They boarded an elevator and journeyed up to the main floor. As they stepped out Rogue studied the circular room with wonder. There was so much light streaming in from the windows and front door, giving it a cozy feel. Rogue hurried to catch up with Logan who was heading down another hallway that led towards the dining room. As they neared the dining room chatter could be heard echoing off the walls. Rogue gulped as Logan pushed the door open for them.

The second Rogue entered the room it became silent. All eyes were on her as she nervously twirled a white strand of hair around a gloved finger. Her stomach did a flip flop, letting her know that coming to breakfast upstairs probably hadn't been the smartest move of the day.

Kurt and Bobby both jumped out of their seats, pulling out the empty chair between them. "Rogue," called out Kurt, "we saved you a seat!"

Rogue glanced at the empty seat and found her eyes glancing at the rest of the table. The looks she got were no longer filled with fear…they were filled with something else.

Pity.

She could see it in Jean's eyes. In Kitty's—in the Professor's.

"Roguey! Sit by me!" pleaded Jamie bouncing up and down in his seat. _Roguey_. It reminded her of Lance. It reminded her of another time in her life, one that seemed so distant rather than barely four days ago.

Behind her, Rogue could feel Logan giving her an encouraging nudge in the back to move. But Rogue couldn't move. She was frozen with fear and anxiety. She could feel bile rising up in her mouth. Rogue took a step backwards, bumping into Logan. She barely comprehended the confused looks that the rest of the table gave her as she turned and fled out of the dining room. She wasn't ready for this yet.

Bobby was ready to run after Rogue when Logan pushed him down into his seat. "I don't think Rogue should be by herself," argued the blonde boy as Logan plopped himself down in the chair that had been meant for Rogue.

"Leave her alone. This is a big change for her," replied Logan gruffly, using a single claw to spear some ham of a large platter.

"But—"

"No buts. Just pretend I'm Rogue until she's ready to join us."

Kitty made a face. "Like, no offense, Mr. Logan, but Rogue is _so_ much prettier than you."

"No kiddin'? Pipe down and eat your goddamn food!" ordered Logan.

"Well," started Kurt with an injured pride. "You certainly _sound_ like Rogue."

Meanwhile, Rogue ran down the hallway and to the large front door. She pulled it open and stumbled outside and down the front steps, leaving the door open behind her. Rogue continued to run down the driveway until she finally slowed, and dropped to the ground. She crawled over to a nearby bush and relieved her stomach of the few contents within. When she was done, Rogue moved away from the bush, wiping her mouth and sobbing at the same time. Her hands dug through her pockets until she pulled out her faithful pack of cigarettes and lighter. She tore one of the slim smokes out of the pack, returning her pack to her pockets. Rogue placed the cigarette in her mouth and fumbled with the lighter. Her hands were shaking, but somehow she got the cigarette lit. Rogue took a deep breath of the toxic smoke, instantly feeling her body relax.

Somehow, Rogue got back to her feet and made her way over to the large wrought iron fence. She slung her arms through the bars and studied the street outside the mansion grounds. Out there was freedom, something Rogue didn't think she would ever be able to taste again.

"Well, well, well," mocked a voice. Rogue glanced up warily in time to see Pietro stand before her, clutching the bars from the other side.

"Whaddya want?" muttered Rogue taking another puff of her cigarette.

"My father is in jail because of you."

"He tried to kill me."

"Like that means anything to me?" snapped the white haired teen acerbically. His blue eyes glowed with an intense hatred for Rogue as he stared at her. "He's my father! You sent him to jail. He lets you in on one simple plan and you go and screw it all up!"

Rogue narrowed her eyes. "Ah thought we were friends. What the hell is your problem?"

"What's my problem? _You're _the reason my dad is in jail! God, Rogue! How stupid can you be? All you had to do was start up the damn machine—but you sent the dead Senator to get help from the X-Freaks…and now look where you are! With the enemy!" Pietro snorted and shook his head in disappointment as Rogue stared at him in shock.

"You knew about the plan?" she asked, disbelief evident in her voice.

"Of course I knew the plan! I'm Magneto's son. I'm the heir to his throne," retorted Pietro icily.

Rogue chuckled darkly. "God, Ah really am stupid. Ah believed in all your bullshit! Ah should have seen right through you! You're nothin' like your old man, Speedy. You don't even know the half of who he is! Ah'll let ya in ohn a little secret, Mags doesn't have much confidence in ya. He thinks you're a screw up!"

"You're lying!" charged Pietro glaring at Rogue. The southern girl shrugged nonchalantly and tossed the butt of her cigarette at Pietro's shirt. Both watched as it fell to the ground by his feet.

Then Rogue spoke up through gritted teeth. "Ya know what, Speedy. Ah was supposed ta die the other day—but somehow Ah lived. If Ah was you, Ah'd watch mah back from now ohn. Ah'm not a very forgivin' person, ahn you know it. Don't piss meh off, Pietro. Mystique is gone, so Ah might want ta take all mah anger out ohn you. Get mah drift?"

Pietro nodded in understanding, his eyebrows furrowed in anger. He wasn't afraid. "I'll be waiting for you, Rogue. From now on, we're mortal enemies."

"You don't know who you're messin' with, sugah."

"Fuck you." Pietro turned to leave, but twirled around with a sinister smile on his face. "Just so you know, Lance and Kitty are officially a couple now."

"Ain't that sweet of you, tryin' to twist the knife in mah back? Ah don't give a damn anymore. The only thing that matters is certain people getting their just desserts."

Pietro's lips set into a firm line and then he was gone like the wind. Rogue stared in the direction he had gone, her mind going over this new piece of evidence. How many people had known what had laid in store for her when she had come to Bayville?

Back inside the mansion the students and adults were gathering around the large screened television in the living room. Principal Kelly was about to give a statement regarding his father's unfortunate demise.

"It is with a saddened heart that I stand before you today. My father was a great man. He was a brilliant man. He had dreams for the people of America. He knew of the growing mutant danger out there, threatening the very lives of the people of this nation.

"Mutants are the reason he is gone. They are murderers! They abducted my father because of what he believed in! But they will not get away with this monstrosity! From this day forward I vow to continue the fight my father started. The Mutant Registration Act is our only hope for peace in the United States of America! I will not rest until every mutant is locked up for good!"

Ororo turned down the volume as the reporter returned to the screen. "This is a terrible outcome from the Senator's death. Kelly Jr. is the high school principal. The students will have to be extra careful from now on."

"I'm afraid that I have to agree," sighed Xavier placing his hands in his lap. "The prospect of peace is growing farther and farther away by the moment."

"We just have to prove that not all mutants are bad," pointed out Jean.

Scott shook his head. "Yeah, but who's going to listen? We're not living in safe times."

"Do you think she's alright?" asked Bobby suddenly. Everyone turned to look at Bobby who was standing in the open doorway staring out after Rogue.

Logan rolled his eyes. "She's a big girl. She weighs like what, one hundred pounds, and she can kick my ass. Rogue's tougher than she looks. Twenty bucks says the girl is working out a death plan for Mystique and Sabertooth. She's on our side now."

Rogue took one last look beyond the looming gates overhead and turned to walk back towards the mansion. She didn't have much of a choice anymore.

"One chance. Y'all get one chance," she muttered under her breath noticing Bobby and Logan in the doorway of the mansion. As she said this one gloved hand clutched the beeper sitting within her coat pocket.

Rogue still had options.

**A/N—Sorry, this one took a little bit longer than I had planned, but here it is. Okay, so here's the deal with Gambit: he's much closer to arriving. I can't just rush him in here. I have to set up the story in such a way that his relationship with Rogue is natural and NOT forced. Okay? I promise, he's coming…just work with me until then. Thanks!**


	25. Stalker

**Disclaimer: None of this belongs to me, that much you already know.**

**24-Stalker**

Kitty cleared her throat nervously as Rogue glanced around the bedroom. The Professor had just informed them they would be roommates. "Um, Rogue? I know that I'm like the last person in the world you'd want to like share a room with, but…okay, I don't really know where I'm going with that. Lance…Lance let me get all your stuff from the boarding house. It's on your bed…I hope that was alright…" Kitty clamped her mouth shut as Rogue looked at her.

"Ah ain't gonna kill you," said Rogue coldly. "You ain't worth the trouble."

"Oh. Okay."

"But this doesn't mean we're friends either, got it? As long as Ah'm here don't talk ta meh."

Kitty nodded her head as she edged closer to her own bed. "I, uh, guess I'll be going. I'll be back at the end of the break, so, maybe you can decorate while I'm gone? Make the room yours too."

Rogue frowned. "Ah may be livin' here, but it doesn't mean Ah wanna fit in. Aren't you keepin' your folks waitin'?"

"Right." Kitty gave Rogue one last look before dashing out the door with a suitcase. Rogue walked over to the window and pushed it open so she could watch some of the X-Men leave for the holidays.

Down below she watched as Ororo and Evan drove away; Jean talking with her family and the Professor; Kitty coaxing her dad to pack all four of the suitcases she had packed; Bobby hugging his brother before getting into the car; Jubilee helping her mother back into the car; ten little Jamies running around his parents in excitement; and Kurt instructing the taxi driver to take him to the airport so he could catch his plane to Germany. The only ones staying behind for the holidays, besides the Professor and Logan would be Rogue and Scott.

Tears began to form in Rogue's eyes as her mind drifted back to her life a year ago. She should be home with Jack and Lena right now, decorating the Christmas tree and placing gifts beneath it. By now Lena was probably getting closer to her due date, the baby was supposed to be born in the early part of January. With a small sniff Rogue pulled the window shut and plopped down on her bed. Staring up at the ceiling she let a few stray tears fall, wishing that she could just wake up from this nightmare and be back home in Mississippi. Christmas was going to be tough this year.

The phone on the nightstand in between Rogue and Kitty's bed rang. Rogue sat up on her elbows and looked over at it in confusion. No one should be calling for Kitty—didn't they know she was heading out of town? The phone continued to ring and Rogue groaned. With her luck it would be Lance on the other end looking for his new girlfriend. Rogue hesitated before rolling over to the other side of the bed and sitting up. She grabbed the phone and turned it on, answering breathlessly.

"Hello?"

"Rogue? Oh, thank-god! I've been trying to reach you for over a week now!" Warren's voice on the other end seemed relieved, bringing a small smile to Rogue's face. Of all the people in the world to be on the other end, she hadn't expected it to be Warren.

"Sorry, Ah've kinda moved," murmured Rogue apologetically.

"Hey, don't be sorry. It's not your fault. I heard on the news that there were bright lights at Liberty Island—I figured you were somehow involved, especially after it was announced that Senator Kelly had been confirmed dead. Are you alright? I bumped into this crazy blind woman who kept going on about you and the end of the world."

Rogue made a face. "Destiny?" she asked. "Ah cahn't stand her. Ah'm alright, Ah guess. Ah'm just tryin' ta piece mah life back together, ya know?"

Warren chuckled dryly. "Yeah, I know the feeling. I've just been so worried about you. I'm glad you're okay. Maybe I should come see you. Would that be alright?"

"You wanna see meh?"

"Of course. Rogue, we're friends. I'd rather see for myself that you're okay. That and I'd like to check out this new place you're at. When I called the boarding house, your roommates there weren't too friendly. I'd feel better checking out your new place," replied Warren with a note of concern in his voice.

"Really? Ah'd love ta see ya, Warren. Ah could use a friend right about now." Rogue bit her lip hopefully. It would be nice to see a friendly face, one she knew she could trust. Plus, it didn't hurt that Warren was good looking. Maybe he could help her sort out her life now that everything she once knew had been destroyed.

"Great. Look, Rogue, if things aren't good there, you can stay with me. I've moved into my own place—I can help take care of you. You don't have to say anything now, but just think about it. I want you to be happy. And personally, I don't think Bayville is the best place for you."

"Ah'll think about it," said Rogue.

"Okay then, I'm on my—hey! What are you doing in my house?" Warren's voice drifted away from Rogue and towards someone on his end of the line. Rogue frowned as she strained to listen to the person with Warren.

"…business proposition…no choice…chance…too bad…come…you…"

"Warren?" Rogue's question lingered in the air as the line was cut off. Rogue pulled the phone away from her face and stared at the receiver in horror. She turned it off and back on before dialing Warren's number from memory. No one answered. Turning off the phone one last time, Rogue tossed it on the bed and strode out of her bedroom. With quick steps Rogue made her way to the giant staircase and took the stairs two at a time. She came to an abrupt halt at the bottom of the staircase. The Professor, Logan, and Scott turned to stare at her in surprise.

"Is something wrong?" demanded Logan gruffly, instantly noticing the panicked look in her green eyes.

"Mah friend—Warren—he's in trouble."

"What kind of trouble?"

"Who's Warren?" asked Scott with a frown.

"Ah met him at the rally a while back. Ah go ta him when Ah need help—his dad is a businessman, supported Kelly. He just called meh, ahn the phone got cut off. Ah tried callin' back, but no one answered," replied Rogue in a rush.

The Professor closed his eyes as his listened to Rogue. "I'll check Cerebro to see if I can find his whereabouts."

"You wanna go save some kid just 'cause he didn't answer the phone?" Logan snorted, earning a glare from Rogue.

"He's mah friend!"

"Then how come we've never seen him around?" Scott was wary. Rogue had been friends with the Brotherhood as well as this Warren guy. What made her so sure he wasn't an enemy too?

"Warren Worthington," interrupted the Professor, "is someone who can be trusted. I met him before. He is a mutant. I taught him how to control his powers when he was just a boy. His father does not know of Warren's gift. I believe that something is amiss. Do not fear, Rogue, I will find him and then you, Logan, and Scott can go after him."

Rogue simply nodded as her mind absorbed the truth. So _that_ was why Warren supported mutants. Instead of being hurt that he had not confided this in her, Rogue felt a deep respect for Warren. He was trying to please his father, and stay true to himself at the same time. And that was something Rogue understood all too well.

**New York City:**

Logan sniffed the air with disdain as he, Rogue, and Scott descended the steps leading down into New York City's subway system. The place stunk.

"Chuck was one hundred percent sure this Warren kid was brought here?" he asked gruffly.

Rogue eyed the older mutant coldly. "'Course he's sure. Ya think he'd actually send us ohn a wild goose chase?" she challenged.

"You never know kid; maybe he wants us out of the house."

Scott grimaced. "Sure, Logan, that's the kind of person the Professor is. Maybe he's in league with the men who took Warren as well."

"Hey, I'm just askin' a simple question," protested Logan as he barely dodged a person jogging up the steps.

"Yeah, well, they're dumb questions," said Rogue. She stuck her tongue out at Logan and hurried her pace down the steps. All that mattered was finding Warren safe and sound. She didn't have time for grumpy old men.

"Did you see that?" demanded Logan pointing at Rogue's back. Scott chuckled and nodded as he and Logan moved aside for another cluster of people to pass them.

"Admit it, Logan," started Scott with a wide grin. "She's growing on you."

"Like the damn plague. Just wait till I get her scrawny little ass in the danger room, then we'll see how cocky she is after that."

Scott wisely kept his mouth shut and looked around for Rogue. She was nowhere to be seen around the crowded platform. "Speaking of which, where'd she go?"

Meanwhile, Rogue was dodging people left and right as she made her way through the crowd. She paused and thoughtfully grabbed both ends of the scarf around her neck. She studied each and every person carefully, looking for someone out of the ordinary. And then she saw him. Warren.

His face was strained, and Rogue immediately saw why. Standing right behind him was a tall man wearing a dark suit and sunglasses. Judging by his stance, Rogue was almost positive he held a gun to Warren's back. She glanced back for Logan and Scott, but she couldn't find them. With a deep breath, Rogue cautiously began to make her way towards Warren and his captor, keeping well out of their eyesight. It wouldn't do to be seen beforehand.

When Rogue was about ten feet away she deftly removed a single glove, keeping her hand hidden within her sleeve. Just as she was about to slip her bare hand onto the man's neck, a hard cylinder-like object was shoved into her back forcing her to stop in her tracks.

"I wouldn't even think about it if I were you," hissed a voice menacingly. The person pushed her forward to stand beside Warren, who quickly pulled her into his arms.

"You shouldn't have come," murmured Warren into her hair.

"Sorry." Rogue pulled away and slipped her glove back onto her bare hand. She turned to face the gunmen with a frown. "Who are ya people?"

"No one you should be concerned about," soothed one of the gunmen.

Warren grimaced. "They work for someone named Stryker. They're trying to round up mutants dangerous enough to convince the President that the Mutant Registration Act is the only way to save humanity."

"Too bad you won't be one of them, girl," chuckled the second gunman.

"What are ya talkin' about?" asked Rogue shrinking back to stand behind Warren's back.

"You're goin' somewhere else, girlie. Somewhere nice and warm."

"Sorry, boys, Ah've already been ta hell, it ain't that great," replied Rogue.

"Too bad, so sad." The gunmen eyed each other before turning back to the pair of teens before them. "Next train is ours. Better be ready."

Rogue narrowed her eyes at the men, barely glancing behind them at Scott and Logan who were not-so-casually making their way over to the group. Instead, she tugged on Warren's sleeve so that he bent his head down towards her lips. "Ohn three," she whispered, her eyes never straying off their captors, "get outta mah way."

Warren frowned but nodded his head in agreement. A second passed before Rogue gave the order. "Three!"

Warren moved aside just as Rogue launched a powerful roundhouse kick at one of the gunmen knocking him to the ground so that he dropped his gun onto the tracks. The other man moved to shoot Rogue, but three metal claws were stuck through the palm of his hand. The man screamed in horror at the sight, and screamed even louder when the claws were retracted. People nearby saw the scene and began to panic. More screams filled the air, and soon it was a stampede out of the subway. The gunman on the ground scrambled to his feet, launching himself at Rogue, but Scott quickly shot him onto the tracks below with a laser beam.

"Don't look now, but we've got company!" hollered Logan extending both pairs of claws out of his knuckles. The teens glanced at the stairwell in time to see more men with guns pushing and shoving their way down the steps.

"I think it's time we brought this party up a level," grumbled Warren. He arched his back, and a pair of white feathered wings ripped through his shirt.

"Wow," breathed Rogue. "Now _that's _somethin' ya don't see every day."

"No kidding," grinned Warren. He flapped his wings, bringing himself off the ground, and headed straight towards the men with guns. Behind him were Scott and Logan running as fast as they could. Rogue shook her head and was about to join them when she noticed someone on the stairwell.

"It cahn't be," she murmured to herself. But it was. Standing with one hand on the metal balustrade was Raven Darkholme. The dark haired woman caught Rogue's eye and turned to walk up the stairs. Rogue was frozen for half a second before she broke into a run. She pushed past the gunmen, sending a few to the ground with black eyes and broken noses, but Rogue refused to stay and fight. As she ran up the steps, she ignored the calls of her friends. She had business to take care of.

Topside, the streets and sidewalks were bare. Save for Mystique. The blue shape shifter stood beside a light post, waiting patiently.

"What the hell are ya doin' here?" screeched Rogue coming to stand within a few feet of Mystique.

"I see you are doing better. I knew it would take more than some machine of Magneto's to bring you down," answered Mystique evasively.

"Ah should kill you."

Mystique raised an eyebrow. "You are just like your father. Always thinking of yourself."

Rogue jumped back in surprise. "Who is he? Mah father? Who is he?" she hissed, tears beginning to form in her eyes. "You owe meh that much!"

"Do I?"

"Fuck you!"

"Rogue, I didn't come here to listen to your temper tantrums. I screwed up, yes, what else do you want me to say? That I'm sorry? Well, I am. But you need to get forget that, because I'm only here to warn you that you are in danger."

"You try ta kill meh, ahn now ya want to save meh? You _are_ insane!" Rogue stared at Mystique and shook her head in disappointment. "Look, if ya came ohn behalf of Destiny, then forget it! Ah already heard her mumbo jumbo. Gawd, you two are like two peas in a pod."

"Those men down there, they don't work for Stryker. They work for a mutant called Sinister. He's after both you and Warren. Rogue, your fate changed. You weren't meant to die on Liberty Island."

Rogue gave a dark laugh. "Does that help ya sleep at night? Thinkin' that you cahn't be held responsible for mah death? You're a sick woman, Mystique."

"Dammit, girl! Why won't you listen to me?" Mystique moved to grab Rogue by the arms and shake her, but Rogue's fist connected with the other woman's mouth. Mystique stumbled backwards into the light post, clutching her bleeding mouth.

"Don't ya dare lay a single finger ohn meh, Mystique."

Mystique wiped away some of the blood from her mouth and stood up straight and tall. She studied her daughter carefully. "You want to kill me? Then do it. Kill me. But know this, Rogue, I came here today to try and rectify my wrongs. I won't see you die by anyone's hands—not if there's something that I can do about it."

Rogue swallowed the lump in her throat, and dropped her fists to her sides. The two mutants eyed each other carefully, just as Warren swooped up the steps and to Rogue's side. He extended his wings as a shield, and looked directly into Mystique's yellow eyes.

"Hurt a single hair on her head," he threatened, "and I'll make you wish you had never been born."

"Rogue!" Logan stopped short with Scott right behind him when he caught sight of Mystique and Warren facing each other. "What the hell are you doing here, you fucking bitch?"

"None of your business, wolf man." Mystique turned her attention back to Warren who was still shielding Rogue from her. "I'll be watching you, boy. Think about what I've told you, Rogue. I'll be around." With those words Mystique shifted into a raven and disappeared into the sky.

Warren dropped his wings and turned around to face Rogue. The southern girl was staring blankly ahead of her. With a small sigh Warren pulled Rogue into a hug without a word. He had a deep suspicion as to who that woman had been, but he knew now wasn't the time to talk about it.

Scott let out a loud breath of air as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I think you should come back with us, Warren. At least for a few days until we can figure out what's going on."

"That's fine by me," agreed Warren.

Logan nodded before speaking. "Fine, but first things first, we're gonna lay down some ground rules."

"Okay," said Warren cautiously.

"Rule number one: keep your hands to yourself." For an added effect, Logan's claws flashed in the winter sunlight. Warren opened his mouth in a soundless oh, and dropped his hands to his side. Logan nodded in satisfaction and went to put an arm around Rogue's shoulders. The gruff man led Rogue away with both Scott and Warren trailing behind him.

"Is he always like that?" Warren asked Scott in a whisper as they trudged down the slushy sidewalks.

"Oh yeah, you get used to it after a while. Of course, he's never been this protective over one of us teens before. I think he has a soft spot for Rogue," replied Scott.

"Oh. So, would I have to go through him to ask her out on a date?"

"I can still hear you yapping!" called out Logan. Both teens shut up instantly, but Warren smiled as Rogue glanced back to wink at him. Things would be okay.

**Later That Night:**

Rogue stared at her alarm clock and watched as the digits registered the fact that it was midnight. It was officially Christmas morning. With a heavy sigh Rogue went over to the doorway leading outside. She pushed the doors open and breathed in the crisp air as she stepped over to the edge of the balcony and leaned on the railing. She stared out into the clear and starry night restlessly.

It was her first Christmas without her foster parents. Heck, it was really her first Christmas alone. Sure she had Logan, Warren, Scott, and the Professor. But it wasn't the same. Rogue didn't have a family. Or at least one that wanted her. Her mother was a terrorist of sorts, her father—he was still a nameless, faceless person.

Tears streamed down Rogue's cheeks as a cold breeze stirred. Rogue pulled her arms around her body and turned to retreat back into the bedroom. She shut the doors and leaned her forehead against one of the small window panes. In her mind she could still see Mystique standing in front of her, with blood trickling down her chin. Rogue had wanted to hit her again and again—she had wanted to let loose her anger and hurt. But in the end, Rogue couldn't lift a finger. And all it came down to was one little fact.

Mystique, despite her many flaws, was trying to protect Rogue from her future. And for Rogue, that one act was more than enough to give her some hope that maybe, one day, Mystique might come to terms with her daughter.

"Ah really need ta get some sleep," mumbled Rogue to herself. "Ah'm over analyzin' things now. Man, this is why Ah hate Christmas."

Within minutes the soft glow of the bedside lamp was turned off, leaving the room in darkness. Outside, an owl hooted from its perch on a nearby tree. It blinked its golden yellow eyes before flying away from the mansion.

**A/N—God, this took me ages! I'm sorry! I had this huge bout of writer's block, but I made myself write this out because I got a review begging me to hurry up a little. So, Nettlez, this one's for you. Also, I went back and edited all the other chapters, fixing little mistakes here and there. Anyway, I hope the next chapter doesn't take too long. I'll try and get it out before Thanksgiving, seeing as how I'm going home for that. Enjoy!**


	26. Trouble in the Making

**Disclaimer: Obviously I have absolutely no rights whatsoever over this material.**

**Chapter 25-Trouble in the Making**

Rogue was woken by a loud crash coming from downstairs. She blinked a few times before her alarm clock came into focus. It was barely eight in the morning. Rogue stretched her arms over her head and tried to think who would be up so early. Logan, maybe—but he was usually pretty quiet. It couldn't be either Scott or Warren seeing as how the earliest they had been waking up during Christmas break was noon. And it definitely couldn't be the Professor. He never made a sound that would disturb the rest of the mansion.

Another crash echoed throughout the mansion, followed by a childish laugh. _Oh no,_ thought Rogue to herself glancing at the calendar on the wall. Today was the day the rest of the X-Men returned for the remainder of the school year. With a groan Rogue got out of bed as yet another crash resounded from the downstairs, followed by a chorus of cries. It seemed Bobby and Evan were in trouble already.

"Ah'm gonna kill those guys for comin' back so early," vowed Rogue to herself as she pulled on a pair of jeans, a long sleeved green shirt, brown gloves, black steel toed shoes, and a black sweater. She grabbed a scarf that matched her shirt, winding it around her throat as she made her way out of her room. Rouge glanced down the hall in time to see both Scott and Warren making their way out of the bedroom they shared. Neither one looked very awake at the moment.

"I call dibs on killing Bobby and Evan," muttered Scott as the trio made their way downstairs.

"Only if ya cahn catch 'em first," replied Rogue darkly. Warren chuckled. The three teens stopped at the bottom of the staircase and studied the returning students. They weren't alone it seemed. New faces stood around nervously looking about the mansion hallway.

"Welcome," announced the Professor wheeling into the room with Logan at his heels. "I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and a safe trip back. I'm glad you have returned so…energetic."

"Better hope you have enough energy for the Danger Room later today," growled Logan fiercely. Evan and Bobby paused long enough to gulp in fear.

"Hey now," started Bobby, "it's not like we woke anyone up."

"Wanna bet?" demanded Rogue, her green eyes flashing dangerously.

Evan squeaked. "Bobby started it."

Rogue narrowed her eyes. "If Ah was you boys Ah'd stay as far away from meh as possible."

"How long?" asked Bobby scratching his head anxiously.

"How about for the next couple of months?" shot back Rogue acerbically.

"Told ya she had a temper," whispered Kurt to one of the newer kids standing around.

"Are these new recruits, Professor?" asked Scott indicating the group of kids standing behind Jean and Ororo.

"I believe so. Why don't you kids introduce yourselves to us?" The Professor turned to look at the new students patiently.

A boy with shortly cropped blondish orange hair and dark blue eyes stepped forward. "The name's Ray Crisp, but you can call me Bezerker."

Another boy stepped forward as well. He had pale blonde hair down to the nape of his neck and pale blue eyes. "Uh, my name is Samuel Guthrie. You can call me Sam or, I guess Cannonball. That's my nickname," drawled out the teen shyly in a country twang.

"I am Amara Aquilla, and I am the Princess of Nova Roma. My people have given me the alias Magma after I…after I almost destroyed our village with a fountain of lava." The doe eyed brunette shifted her feet nervously as she toyed with the long strands of her hair.

"I am Roberto Da Costa and I am from Brazil," spoke up a boy with black hair that curled at the ends and dark brown eyes. His accent was light, but unmistakable. "Sometimes I go by the name of Sunspot for my powers."

Then a girl with short blonde hair and blue grey eyes came forward with a yawn. "I'm Tabitha Smith—and I don't have a cute little nickname for you to call me by. Guess you'll have to come up with one all by yourself. Nice place you got here, though. Do we get to ride in limos to school too?" She chuckled at her own joke, ignoring the looks that Kitty and Amara gave her.

"Don't be so rude," hissed another girl. She had reddish brown hair pulled back in pigtails and grey eyes. She spoke with a Scottish brogue. "I'm Rahne Sinclair, I come from Scotland. You can call me Wolfsbane if you want."

"Yeah yeah, Shelia, I think they get the idea, doncha, mates?" interrupted the last new teen there. This one spoke with a heavy Australian accent. He had sandy brown hair and brown eyes. In one of his hands he absently flipped the top of a Zippo lighter. "I'm St. John Allerdyce; some call me Pyro. Betcha can't guess why."

"Bet Ah could," muttered Rogue under her breath to Warren. The older teen stifled his laugh as St. John issued them a glare.

Professor Xavier cleared his throat, gaining the attention of all students, old and new. "Welcome to my institute for gifted children. I have already talked to many of your parents, and trust me when I say that you are not making a mistake by coming here. If you please, Ororo and Jean will show you around the mansion and then help you settle into your new bedrooms."

Within seconds the new students were gone along with Ororo and Jean, leaving Scott, Warren, Rogue, Kitty, Kurt, Bobby, Evan, Jamie, and Jubilee alone with the Professor and Logan.

"I trust you will make the newer students feel welcome for as long as they are here," stated Xavier before wheeling himself back towards his office.

Logan narrowed his eyes at Bobby and Evan warningly as he spoke, "I'll be seeing you two in the danger room in two hours, got it?"

"Yes sir!" chorused the two teens sharply.

"Rogue, I want you there too. It's high time we learned what you're made of—_without _your powers."

Rogue shrugged nonchalantly. "Have it your way, sugah."

"Don't get cheeky with me."

"Ah don't get cheeky, Wolvie, that's not who Ah am."

"We'll see about that. You three have two hours, and then its playtime." Logan turned on his heels and stalked off down the hallway.

"Like is it just me or did he get grouchier during the break?" asked Kitty after a minute.

"I think he got grouchier," agreed Kurt with a nod of his head. "Oh well, I better call Amanda and let her know I'm home."

"Man, he's got it bad for her," groaned Evan as Kurt teleported away, more than likely to his bedroom.

"Roguey!" Jamie squealed in delight and wrapped his tiny arms around Rogue's waist, catching the southern belle off guard. "I missed you while I was gone. Oo! I got you a present too, Roguey!"

"A present?" murmured Rogue trying to peel the small boy off of her. "But Ah didn't get ya anythin'."

"It's okay, I made it at home. It's a picture of me and you fighting the bad guys! Remember?"

Rogue frowned. "Ah thought that was meh ahn Blue."

"He's in the picture too, but I kinda messed up coloring him. So he's a bit squiggly. Come on, the suitcase is in my room—you have to see the picture!" Jamie grabbed Rogue's gloved hand and pulled her up the stairs after him.

Warren watched in disbelief as Rogue gave him a pleading look. "I take it that little squirt is my competition, huh?" he questioned Scott.

Scott nodded his head slowly. "The kid seems to think that Rogue's his best friend and future wife all in one. He told me I couldn't date her anymore—at least not without his permission."

"Great, first I have to go through big and grouchy, and now I have to go through the little shrimp. How the hell am I supposed to compete with him? He's one of those adorable kids—no one steals something—let alone someone—from them!"

"Have fun." Scott patted Warren on the back soothingly.

"Who _are_ you?" demanded Bobby after a while. Warren and Scott exchanged knowing glances. They had forgotten the others were still there.

Meanwhile, upstairs in the room Jamie shared with Kurt, Rogue and Jamie were sitting side by side on the floor studying the picture the younger boy had drawn for Rogue. Basically, it was two stick people holding more stick people over their heads. There was also a blue line with a furry tail to represent Kurt.

"Do you like it?" asked Jamie anxiously.

Rogue gave him a warm smile. "Ah love it. Ya draw real nice, Jamie. Ah think you have a career as an artist waitin' for ya."

"Really? I hope so, and then I can make lots of money, huh?"

"Sure, sugah. You'll be rich ahn famous one day. Just don't forget about meh, ya hear?"

"I promise, Roguey. You and me are gonna be best friends forever."

"Alright."

"Promise?" Jamie looked up at Rogue with puppy dog eyes, awaiting her answer with baited breath.

"Promise," murmured Rogue carefully giving the boy a small hug.

"Would you keep it down?" hissed Kurt looking down from the top bunk. "I am having an important phone call—sheesh, you two are louder than Bobby and Evan!"

"Keep it up, Blue, ahn you're gonna wish you were a girl," replied Rogue smoothly.

Kurt stared at Rogue with an open mouth. "Uh, Amanda, can I call you back later? I don't have any privacy at the moment…and I think my life is in danger if I stay in this room any longer. Okay, I'll meet you in the park in ten minutes." Kurt hung up the phone and turned his image inducer back on. "Fine, I'll go elsewhere."

As Jamie and Rogue watched the German teen saunter out of the room Jamie quipped, "Did his momma drop him on the head when he was a baby? 'Cause he's weird."

"No kiddin'," agreed Rogue with a frown. There was something odd about Kurt, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

**The Danger Room:**

Rogue tapped her foot impatiently as she waited for the door of the Danger Room to open and let her out. The last hour and a half she had been fighting make believe thugs with Bobby and Evan—and Rogue was disgusted. The boys had tired after only twenty minutes; Rogue had been left to take care of most of the thugs on her own. Soon the door opened and Logan walked in with a shake of his head.

"You boys were pitiful out there. Leavin' a poor helpless girl to fend for herself…what's the matter with you?" he asked gruffly.

"Poor?" panted Evan.

"Helpless?" added Bobby. "Rogue kicked ass! She's one hell of a fighter!"

"And I haven't even trained her!" snapped Logan. "I've trained you two! Did you forget what you've learned over Christmas break?"

"You can't blame us, can you? I mean, really, Logan, we weren't training every day for two hours over the break," said Evan with a weary sigh.

"Then get ready for tomorrow. First session is at five in the morning—for everyone in the mansion!"

"Are we done here?" demanded Rogue finally. "Ah need ta take a shower."

Logan turned to Rogue and studied her carefully. He waved a hand at Evan and Bobby letting them know they were dismissed. The two boys sprinted out of the danger room, leaving Rogue and Logan alone. "Mystique teach you to fight like that?"

"A bit."

"The bitch knew what she was doing, I'll give her that much," acknowledged the older man grudgingly.

Rogue sighed. "Do ya hafta keep callin' her that? Isn't it a bit crude?"

"I could call her worse."

"Gawd, ya really do hold grudges, doncha? What did she ever do ta ya?"

"Why are you still protecting her?"

"What?" Rogue bit her lip, partially stunned at the comment. Logan was right. She was still protecting Mystique. "It's nothin', really. Ah just…Ah did live with her for a while. Ah can't help it—it's kinda hard to break the habit."

Logan nodded along, not believing a word she said. "If you wanna tell me the truth I'll be here, okay. I don't like lies."

"Ah ain't ready yet." With that Rogue brushed past Logan and made her way down the hallway of the subbasement. She headed for the elevator and pushed the button for the second floor the second she was inside. The ride up was quick and silent, and the doors opened to an empty hallway. Rogue breathed in relief as she made her way towards the room she shared with Kitty. She was almost to the door when another one nearby opened up.

"Hey, you're Rogue, aren't you?" asked Tabitha shutting her door behind her. Rogue nodded without speaking.

Tabitha continued. "I heard you were the enemy for a while, is that true?"

"For a while," replied Rogue cautiously.

"That must have been fun. What's it like fighting with these geeks now? I mean, you don't actually buy all their mumbo jumbo, do you?"

Rogue smiled. "Not really. How 'bout you?"

Tabitha snorted. "Are you kidding? My old man just wanted to get me out of the way. Said I was too much trouble with my powers. I can make pyrokinetically charged balls. It's a great way to blow things up."

"Ah'm sure ya already heard about mah little curse."

"Yeah, man, but that has gotta suck. You're like the Grim Reaper."

"Ah never really thought about it that way," mused Rogue leaning against her own door.

"Dude, you're the only one here who isn't preaching right from wrong. I don't know how you can stand to be with these old fogies—though, I did see that Warren guy. Man, he's a total hottie. I hear he's hung up on you…you're pretty damn lucky."

"Ah guess. So you aren't interested in the X-Men motto?"

Tabitha shook her head vigorously. "Hell no. I don't follow anyone's rules but my own."

Rogue felt a genuine grin spread across her face. "Ah think we're gonna get along just fine."

"Good, because you have totally got to dish on how you've managed to keep track of all these guys. The ultimate town bad boy to the ultimate prep to the ultimate rich boy? I _have_ to know how you do it!" Tabitha linked arms with Rogue and followed her into her room with Rogue explaining how she was more of a magnet for trouble rather than one for boys.

**School:**

The next day was the first day back to school for the spring semester. Scott gave Jean, Kitty, Kurt, and Amara a ride in his car while Logan drove the minivan with Rahne, Ray, Roberto, Jubilee, Bobby, Evan, St. John and Sam. Rogue and Tabitha opted to walk Jamie to school before heading towards the high school.

By the time they made it to school the first bell was ringing.

"We don't actually have to sit with the geeks at lunch do we?" asked Tabitha as she and Rogue made their way up the front steps.

"Gawd, Ah hope not. Ah cahn't stand Kitty ahn Amara. Ah sat between them for supper last night—Ah felt like a fuckin' invisible person. They kept goin' ohn ahn ohn about the mall ahn how many stores they could shop in an hour," groaned Rogue opening her locker and tossing her school books inside.

Tabitha smirked. "I think they're afraid of me. I tossed a few fireballs into Amara's bathwater and some in the snow. It scared the crap outta the Kitty-cat."

Rogue shook her head in amusement as she shut her locker. She turned to walk towards homeroom when she bumped into a large gut. Looking up she saw Fred staring down at her. "Freddy?" she murmured in confusion.

Fred stared at her for another moment as the late bell rang throughout the halls. Then he wrapped his chubby arms around Rogue and lifted her up in a bear hug. "We missed you," he rumbled, his voice cracking emotionally.

"We?" repeated Rogue in a daze as she was set back down on the ground.

"Yeah we," snapped Toad protectively. The blonde-green teen gave Rogue a quick hug as well.

"These your old teammates?" questioned Tabitha.

"Uh—" Before Rogue could reply Lance appeared from behind Fred. Rogue swallowed hard as she stared at Lance quizzically.

"I'm glad you're alright," he said softly. He placed a hand on Rogue's shoulder and squeezed it reassuringly before turning around to head for homeroom. "Come on, you don't wanna be late, do you?" he called over his shoulder.

"He the ex-boyfriend?" Tabitha shook her head and pushed Rogue to follow after Lance when the southern girl didn't answer.

"Yo," stated Toad as he and Fred trailed after the other three. "I think there's something different about Rogue."

"Like what?" asked Fred rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"Like a new hair-do or something."

"Oh yeah…maybe."

Lunch time arrived none too quickly for Rogue and Tabitha. The morning had dragged by slowly, more so for Rogue as she and Lance struggled to make small talk. Both wanted to say things to the other, but neither one knew how to say it. For the time being it was awkward, especially with Kitty in the picture.

Rogue sighed and took a seat at an empty lunch table in the cafeteria. Tabitha joined her with a tray of food.

"I think my sandwich just moved," muttered Tabitha in disgust. She glanced at Rogue who had no food in front of her. "I take it that's why you aren't eating?"

"Not really hungry," answered Rogue truthfully. Tabitha raised her eyebrows, but didn't push the subject. Minutes later Toad and Fred joined the duo with their own trays of food.

"You want that sandwich?" asked Fred pointing at the item Tabitha was fiercely stabbing with her fork. For a reply the blonde girl handed the oversized teen her main part of the meal. No one spoke as Lance took a seat on the other side of Toad, across from Rogue and Tabitha.

"Well well, what have we hear?" came a silky voice. Rogue glanced up at Pietro who glared down at her with unreadable eyes. "Trying to make amends, Rogue?"

"Fuck off, Speedy. Ah don't have time for your shit," mumbled Rogue rolling her eyes. The white haired teen ignored her comment and took the available spot beside her.

"Why don't you go sit with your own kind?"

"Why don't you staple your mouth shut?" shot back Rogue darkly.

"We aren't your friends anymore, Rogue."

"Speak for yourself, Maximoff," cut in Lance sharply. "Rogue will always be welcome with us. If you don't like it then go screw yourself. You're not the one in charge anyway—I am."

Pietro sent Lance an icy glare but didn't budge from his spot beside Rogue. "She betrayed us. Sent my father to jail."

"Yo, man, your old man tried to kill her," replied Toad with a groan.

"It would have been worth—" Pietro never got to finish his sentence as Rogue pushed him off the bench and to the ground.

"Don't say things ya cahn't take back, sugah," she murmured smoothly. "Ya haven't forgotten 'bout mah temper have ya? Ah don't give anyone special treatment…Ah'll kick your ass, Speedy, same as every one else who dares to double cross meh."

"Damn bitch."

"As long as ya know Ah mean business." Rogue got to her feet along with Tabitha and the two girls made their way out of the cafeteria. Pietro watched Rogue go, scowling the entire time.

After school Rogue and Tabitha found themselves walking through the park with Toad and Fred. The foursome were laughing about how horrible drama rehearsal had gone with Pietro trying to stab Scott every time the X-Man had tried to recite his lines.

"Man," sighed Toad wiping tears from his eyes. "I don't know what's wrong with Pietro. The guy's off his rocker now."

"He's definitely got some issues. Why do all the hot ones have to be terminally insane?" asked Tabitha.

Rogue shook her head. "Forget it, Tabby. The guy's a real charmer. 'Sides, he knows you're mah friend—he probably hates ya too."

"Good point. I don't wanna date some loser. Now Lance on the other hand—god, he's perfect."

"And taken," pointed out Fred.

Tabitha paused thoughtfully. "Oh yeah. Aw well, I'm sure I can get him to forget about the Kitty-cat. Only if it's alright with you, Rogue."

"Go ahead. Ah don't think Ah cahn handle Lance a third time round. Ah'm better off convincin' Logan that Warren really isn't that bad of a guy," replied Rogue with a small smile.

"I heard Logan was taking your rich boy through the Danger Room today," whispered Tabitha conspiratorially. Rogue chuckled at the thought. Logan had developed over thirty different rules and quests for Warren to overcome for just one night out with Rogue. Truth be told, the southern girl found the whole situation endearing, as well as flattering considering the fact that Warren did everything Logan said without question. Warren was definitely determined, and that made him all the more attractive to Rogue.

"This Warren guy, is he alright?" asked Toad suspiciously. For added effect Fred planted a fist into his palm.

"He's fine. Trust meh, okay. He's nothin' like Lance," soothed Rogue. Toad opened his mouth to ask another question when six men stepped onto the path in front of the four teens.

"Who are they?" hissed Tabitha under her breath.

"Ah don't know, but they look like trouble," returned Rogue narrowing her eyes.

One of the men stepped forward, pulling his jacket back far enough to reveal a pistol at his waist. "Now I hope you muties will be good and just come along without a real fuss," he said calmly. "We've got a lot of money staked out on you."

"How do you know we're mutants?" demanded Fred darkly.

"Now, now, you didn't think you would be able to keep it a secret, did you? A lot of people in know all about you kids…and trust me when I say you've got a lot coming."

"Ah don't think so, buddy. Ah ain't goin' anywhere with you."

The man shrugged as though he heard that phrase every day. "Have it your way."

As if on cue the six men launched themselves at the teenagers with ominous looks. They meant business. Two of the men struggled to keep Fred's arms pinned to his sides as Fred tried to shake them off. Toad started his own version of leap frog with his thug by jumping on the man's back and knocking him to the ground.

"Yo man, chew this." Toad hocked out some acid onto the man's face. The man screeched in pain, wiping off the spit as fast as he could.

Tabitha eyed the man in front of her without fear. In the palm of her hand she had three small charged fireballs. "I got two words for you—boom, boom." She giggled and tossed the balls behind the man who took a step back just as Tabitha took a step forward. With a grin Tabitha bent over backwards in a back-flip as the balls exploded, sending the man face first into the ground.

Rogue on the other hand was doing her best to keep the man after her as far away as possible. So far he was a match for her martial arts. Rogue swung a fist at the man, only to have him tug on her arm and pull her back into his chest. Within seconds Rogue could barely breathe as the man pulled out a metal rod that had been strapped to his chest and placed it at Rogue's throat, blocking all movement. Rogue wheezed as she tried to push the rod away from her airflow, but the man only pulled harder.

The next thing that Rogue realized was she was on the ground gasping for breath as the man behind her was knocked to the ground. Looking up she saw Pietro picking up the metal rod and knocking the man out with it.

"Pietro?" croaked Rogue, her hands still at her throat as she gulped in large breaths of air.

"This doesn't mean I hate you any less," interrupted Pietro with a deep frown.

"Don't worry, sugah, the feelin' is mutual." Rogue got to her feet with some help from the speed demon just as Tabitha and Toad backed up into them.

"Hey, I think we have a real problem here. These guys aren't exactly backing off," stated Tabitha as some of the men stumbled back onto their feet.

"If they wanted our money all they had to do was ask," moaned Toad watching as Fred tossed the two men on his arm down to the ground.

"I don't think that's what they want," murmured Pietro taking a stance in front of Rogue. "They look like bounty hunters to me."

"Bounty hunters?" gasped Rogue in surprise. "Ya mean someone is goin' to all this trouble just ta hunt us down?"

"Not if I can help it!" cried out a voice from the sky. The teens looked up as Warren swooped down and picked up one of the men. The man screamed a high pitched scream the second Warren let him go, down into the branches of a large oak tree. By the time the man hit the ground he was barely conscious.

"Anyone else want to go for a ride?" queried Warren planting his feet on the ground. The six men growled but began to back away. They took one last look at the teenagers they had been after before turning on their heels and running. Two of the men even managed to grab their fallen comrade.

Pietro snorted and walked over to the tree where the man had fallen out of. He picked up a black wallet from the ground and tossed it towards Rogue. "Think fast," he said. Rogue blinked in astonishment as Kurt popped into the fray in time to catch the flying wallet.

"What is going on here?" demanded the blue teen waving the wallet around in the air. "I heard a commotion! I—is that a bruise on your neck, Rogue?"

"Huh?" Rogue's hands flew up to her throat, fingering the fast growing bruise. "Maybe we betta get back ta the mansion."

"I think that's a great idea," smirked Pietro. "You chumps go back to your place and I'll take my boys back to the boarding house."

"Yeah, let's go, Freddy," agreed Toad rubbing his hands together. "It's startin' to get a little chilly out here."

Rogue watched the three boys walk away before turning to follow her new friends back home.

**Hours Later:**

With barely a word of acknowledgement Rogue watched cautiously as Logan took a seat beside her on the bench out in the back yard. She took a long drag of her cigarette, waiting for the older man to speak up.

"Smoking is bad for you," said Logan after a while.

"Look who's talkin'…cigars ain't any better," retorted Rogue blowing out the smoke.

"The Professor examined that wallet you kids brought back. Ole whitey was right, they were bounty hunters. There's a lot of money out on mutants these days. We aren't safe anymore."

"Were we ever safe?" Rogue snorted at the thought and continued to stare out at the vast grounds covered in snow. "Ah think Ah figured somethin' out today."

"Oh yeah? What's that?" asked Logan leaning back on the bench.

"Pietro ahn Ah are a lot a like."

"You're kiddin' right? You and Mr. Ego? Alike?"

Rogue nodded slowly. "Yeah. Speedy's mad at meh 'cause Ah sent his father ta jail. Mags doesn't even like Speedy half the time, but it doesn't change the fact that they're father and son. It's kinda like meh ahn Mystique."

"What are you talking about?" Logan sat up and peered at Rogue closely. The young girl didn't even bother looking at him as she spoke.

"Ah never knew mah family. Jack ahn Lena took meh in when Ah was just a babe. They had found meh ohn their doorstep ahn never asked any questions 'bout mah birth parents. When Ah first got mah curse they sold meh out…Ah didn't think Ah would ever feel whole again, you know? Ahn then Ah met Mystique. Ah knew she was bad from the start, it's not like she tried ta hide it. But…there was something about her, something that made meh want ta trust her.

"A few months ago Ah finally got a hold of that mutant Destiny. Boy, she's really out there, isn't she? She went ohn ahn ohn 'bout mah future, ahn in the end she was way off. She ain't very good at her powers. But she did know a bit 'bout mah past. She knew mah birth mother. Ah was thrown for a loop when she told meh. Mystique hadn't said anythin' about it…never mentioned havin' a daughter. Just some son she gave up long ago. Ah guess Ah was hopin' that she meant meh…that she wished she had never given meh up at birth. But when Mags made meh his prisoner, Mystique just watched. She didn't try ta help meh. Only the ole Senator tried ta help meh.

"Ah guess Ah was hopin' for too much from her. Mystique doesn't know how ta be a mother. She knows how ta be a terrorist." Rogue sniffed back some tears, as Logan stared at her in shock.

"Are you trying to tell me that Mystique—that blue, shape shifting whore, is your mother? Your birth mother?" he choked out. Rogue nodded.

Logan shook his head, trying to comprehend what this meant. "That's why you stuck around with them for so long?"

"Ah guess."

"What do you mean you guess? Don't you know Mystique doesn't give a damn about anyone but herself?"

Rogue's eyes hardened as she turned to face the gruff X-Man. "Don't you think Ah already know that. But it won't change the fact that she's mah mother. Ah stuck around partly 'cause Ah was confused ahn hoped she would let me know Ah was her daughter, ahn partly 'cause Ah hoped Ah could find out about mah father. Ah know nothin' 'bout mah family. Everyone else here knows who their family is…meh, Ah know nothin'! Mystique wants nothin' ta do with meh!"

"Hey now, don't cry…someone lookin' out here is gonna think it's my fault." Logan patted Rogue awkwardly on the back as she wiped away her tears.

"Ah just wanna know who he is. Maybe he wants ta know meh, maybe he's dead. Ah don't care really, Ah just want ta know. Ah wouldn't mind a picture all that much either. Just somethin' ta let meh know that Ah'm not alone…ahn that Ah'm not gonna be as crazy as Mystique one day. She ain't exactly a great role model."

"Tell me about it." Logan heaved a heavy sigh and leaned forward with his arms on his knees. "Mystique might have her reasons for not telling you about your dad. Maybe he never knew about you. That woman is good at keeping secrets. If she don't want you to know then you won't."

"All she's told meh is that Ah'm a lot like him. That doesn't tell meh much. Only that Ah'm not the same person Ah used ta be." Rogue became silent as she dropped the butt of her cigarette to the ground. "Ah'm gonna head in. You ain't gonna tell anyone, are ya? 'Bout Mystique. Only Warren knows ahn he ain't gonna say anythin'. It's bad enough that Ah worked with the Brotherhood for a while, but if everyone found out that Ah was related to Mystique. Ah don't think that would go over very well."

Logan raised his hands up. "Your secret's safe with me."

"Thanks…for listenin'."

"No problem, Stripes. Just as long as we don't do this kinda crap again."

Rogue nodded in agreement as she got up out of her seat. Logan watched her head back into the house with a sigh. Mystique had screwed up big time. Rogue craved a family more than anything else, and Logan had a bad feeling that if Rogue ever found out the truth she'd flip. Logan sat back and stared out at the snow. There was a chance, a small one albeit, that _he_ could be Rogue's father. It had been a long time since his relationship with Mystique, but he wouldn't put it past her to try and get pregnant so she could raise a fighting machine to go against him for joining Xavier's side.

"Is something the matter, Logan?" asked Ororo joining him on the bench. "I saw that you were talking with Rogue. How is she? That bruise on her neck is hard to look at without flinching."

"The kid's as tough as nails. Just a little screwed up in the head. Mystique messed with her," replied Logan sourly.

"It is unfortunate that Rogue believed in Mystique for so long as a mentor. But I think Rogue will get by just fine. She's quite a girl." Ororo smiled as Logan chuckled. "Come on, Logan, I made biscuits and gravy for you. You had better eat it before one of the students gets a hold of it."

Logan growled at the thought. "Any of those punks so much as looks at my food and I'll be barbecuing tonight." Logan didn't protest as Ororo tugged on his hand to follow her back to the kitchen. Now wasn't the time to worry about Rogue's parentage. It could wait until things were clearer.

**A/N—I know, I'm late. I sincerely apologize for the delay, but I was able to go home for Thanksgiving sooner than I had anticipated. But, I tried to make this chapter a little bit longer for those of you who were disappointed that I took so long to get it out. Thanks for waiting. Enjoy.**


	27. A Full Circle

**Disclaimer: This material doesn't belong to me.**

**Chapter 26—A Full Circle**

"I expect you back at nine-thirty," growled Logan as Warren helped Rogue into his car. Rogue gave Logan a scathing look. "Fine ten, only because it's a Friday. But no later, wing-boy, or it's off with your head."

"Scout's honor," vowed Warren. He quickly got into the driver's seat and started the car. Rogue rolled her eyes at Warren who gave her a warm smile. "You gotta give him points for agreeing to let you out tonight."

"Remind meh ta kill him later for makin' this such a big deal. Ah've only been around for like what, a month? He's insane…no one else has a curfew but meh," replied Rogue as Warren drove out of the mansion gates.

Warren chuckled. "Well, consider yourself lucky then. Logan must really care about your safety to threaten my life every day. Yesterday he went as far as to tell me that if I ever looked at you funny when he's around he'd cut off my wings."

"Great, Ah'm being watched over by some nut job. Mah life has just gotten _loads _better since livin' with the Brotherhood." Rogue sat back in her seat and lapsed into silence. Warren glanced over at the brooding southerner but refrained from speaking. He knew she was still hurting from Mystique's betrayal. It was plain on her face every time someone mentioned the Brotherhood.

It was twenty minutes later when Warren pulled up in front of a small café on the opposite side of Bayville. He helped Rogue out of the car and smiled appreciatively as he followed her into the café. She wore a black skirt that went past her knees over a pair of black stockings and matching Mary-Jane's. Her long sleeved shirt was a light green color and hugged her skin comfortably. Around her neck she wore a matching scarf that Jean had insisted she wear along with a black coat; and, of course, she wore her trademark brown elbow length gloves. Rogue still feared human contact.

A waitress with a blonde bob and green eyes seated them at the back of the café, and left them with a pair of menus. Rogue and Warren were still oddly silent when the waitress returned bringing them some water and then took their orders. Warren watched as Rogue took a sip of water before asking her the question that had been bothering him all evening.

"Have you told the Professor about Mystique yet?"

Rogue shook her head. "But Ah did tell Logan…ya shoulda seen his face. Ah thought he was gonna have a stroke."

"At least you told someone. Rogue, I really think you should talk to the Professor about this. He might know who your father is—or at least he can find. There's got to be some kind of bonus for living under the same roof as the most powerful telepathic in the world."

"Ah guess…Ah'm not used to askin' for help. Ah'm afraid of what people will say when they find out, you know? Ah'm not exactly everyone's friend."

"Considering you threaten Bobby and Evan on a daily basis—"

"They had the nerve ta barge in mah bedroom without knockin' the other day! It's a good thing it was only Kitty changin' or Ah might have thrown them off the balcony!" protested Rogue.

"That was them?" Warren had an incredulous look on his face. "Wait till we get back to the mansion—they're going to walk funny for the rest of their lives!"

"Ahn you think _Ah'm _hard on them." Rogue gave Warren a triumphant grin as he settled down again.

"Okay, I get your point. I…I just don't want you to go through this alone, Rogue. I'm worried about you."

"Ah know, ahn Ah appreciate everythin' you've done for meh, Warren. Ah really do. You're a great guy," murmured Rogue clutching his hand with her gloved one atop the table. Warren gave her a reassuring squeeze.

"Has that Pietro guy been giving you a hard time, lately?" he questioned after another moment of silence.

Rogue gave a small shrug. "He's been his usual self. Ah think he's finally startin' ta get over himself, but he still tries ta stab Scott in Drama. Ah think he's got it out for Scott now."

"As long as he isn't trying to hurt you I don't mind so much. Scott can handle himself," replied Warren.

"Apparently ya haven't seen meh in action enough times. Trust meh, Ah cahn handle mah own when it comes ta Speedy. He ain't _that _big of a threat. He's more like an annoyin' pest."

The couple let go of each other's hands as the waitress arrived with their food. Once the woman had retreated again Rogue looked over at Warren and gave him a shy smile. It was nice to feel happy again. Warren seemed to bring out the best of her—Rogue smiled more when he was around, and she liked that. She hadn't smiled this much since Mississippi.

"Ah'm glad ya took meh out tonight," she murmured softly.

"Me too, though I guess I was lucky Logan even let you go. You're worth every single bruise I've gotten in that Danger Room," said Warren giving Rogue a wink. Rogue shook her head as she concentrated on her food. But for some reason, she really didn't have much of an appetite. The butterflies in her stomach were driving her crazy.

**The Mansion:**

Logan looked up in relief as Warren and Rogue walked through the front door. He opened his mouth to speak but Rogue raised her eyebrows at him.

"You're on time. Get some sleep," said the gruff man heading up the stairs. "I'll be listening for you two!" he called over his shoulder.

Rogue shook her head in amusement and glanced over at Warren who was struggling to keep a straight face. "Well, I guess that was better than him trying to tackle me again."

"Sure, Ah'd be careful in the Danger Room in the mornin' if Ah was you. Logan's goin' ta bed later than he usually does. He might try ahn give ya a harder session for keepin' him up so late," mused Rogue thoughtfully.

"As long as I'm able to see you again, I won't mind so much."

Turning to face Warren, Rogue frowned as she studied the buttons on his coat. "D'ya really hafta head back to the city tomorrow?" she asked quietly.

"My dad's getting suspicious as to why I haven't attended any of the business meetings lately. I need to get back to work." Warren's voice lowered as he caught Rogue's hands in his own. "My offer still stands, Rogue. You can stay with me if you want."

Rogue gave him a weary smile, but shook her head. "Ah'd hate mahself if Ah didn't try ahn finish school first. 'Sides, ya might get tired of meh around all the time."

"I'll never get tired of you, Rogue. You'll come and visit a lot, right? It'd be kind of strange never seeing my girlfriend."

"Girlfriend?" Rogue looked up in surprise. Warren's face mirrored her own. He hadn't meant to say that aloud.

"I…what I meant was…well…would you…like to be my girlfriend?" he finally sputtered out, his face flushing pink. Rogue opened her mouth in a silent "o" as she contemplated the latest turn of events. She wasn't sure if she was ready for another relationship again.

Warren continued speaking, seeing the conflicting emotions on Rogue's face. "I know it's a bit sudden…but I know we could make this work. I only want what's best for you, Rogue. I won't ever hurt you, I promise."

Hearing Warren's heartfelt confession Rogue knew he was being completely honest with her. "Ah'd love to," she murmured shyly. Warren grinned and lowered his face towards Rogue's.

"Ew! Are they gonna kiss?" came a boyish voice from atop the staircase.

"Shh!" shushed Kurt desperately trying to cover Jamie's mouth.

"Well, _that_ killed the mood," muttered Tabitha loudly. Warren and Rogue glanced up in wonder at Tabitha, Kurt, and Jamie staring back down at them.

"What kissing?" demanded Logan joining them.

"Well none now," remarked Tabitha waving a hand at Warren and Rogue dismissively. "Kurt killed the mood."

"Me?" shrieked Kurt. "Jamie's the one who talked first! I was only spying on them like Logan wanted—"

"Is that so?" asked Rogue looking up at Logan accusingly. The older X-Man narrowed his eyes and grabbed Kurt by the tail, as well as tossing Jamie over his shoulder.

"You never saw us!" he muttered heading back down the hallway. Tabitha gave Rogue a wink before disappearing after the others.

"Well, I think that's the first time I've ever seen Logan so…ashamed," murmured Warren in shock. Rogue rolled her eyes and stood up on tip-toe to give him a soft kiss on the lips.

"Night, Warren. Ah'll see ya before ya head home, right?"

"I wouldn't dream of leaving without saying good-bye," he replied with a grin. Rogue nodded absently and gave him another quick kiss before heading up the stairs. The second she was out of sight Warren lifted a finger to his lips and chuckled. Rogue was definitely something else altogether.

**The Next Day:**

Rogue groaned as she became dimly aware of the phone ringing. She threw off the covers and glared over at Kitty who was still out. With a resigned sigh Rogue sat up and picked up the phone.

"Hello?" she grumbled wiping the sleep out of her eyes.

"Rogue?"

"Caliban?" Rogue double checked that Kitty was still sleeping before speaking. "What is it?"

"I thought you might like to know that Destiny has returned to Bayville," replied Caliban calmly.

"What for? Ah thought she split like everyone else afta Mags got locked up."

"I believe that she has reestablished contact with Mystique."

"What?" hissed Rogue getting out of her bed. She grabbed her robe and pulled it on as she stepped out onto the balcony. "What the hell is she doin' in town for?"

"I am not sure, but the Morlocks have seen her around topside. She means business and that is probably why Destiny has returned. There is a new prophecy about."

"As long as she don't try ahn talk ta meh then Ah don't give a damn."

Caliban was silent for a moment. "I did not tell you before because I was not sure if I was correct, however, I think you should know that Destiny and Mystique have been friends for many years. If anyone were to know about your father than I am quite sure it would be Destiny herself. She keeps everything of Mystique's with her—including a birth certificate that Mystique does not want anyone to see."

"Ya think its mahne?" asked Rogue with a frown.

"It is a possibility. Would you like her address?"

"Yeah, hang ohn." Rogue slipped back into her bedroom and found a piece of paper and a pen. She leaned over the dresser, ready to write. "Alright, what is it?"

"She is residing in the Bayville Spring Apartments. She is in apartment number eight on the third floor."

"Thanks, you're a real sweetheart, sugah. Ah owe ya one," murmured Rogue gratefully.

"Just be careful, Rogue," advised Caliban before hanging up. Rogue turned off the phone and set about getting dressed. She stuffed the address in her jeans pocket and then pulled on her coat. She grabbed her gloves off her dresser and made her way out of the bedroom.

"Where you off to in such a hurry?" questioned Tabitha as Rogue shut the door behind her. Rogue glanced up at Tabitha who was also getting ready to leave the room she shared with Amara.

"Checkin' somethin' out. How 'bout you?" returned Rogue.

Tabitha shrugged. "Anywhere but here. It's a Saturday for crying out loud—there's no way in hell I'm hanging around the geek squad for a whole day. 'Sides, I'm trying to skip out on the Danger Room this morning. Can I tag along?"

Rogue thought for a moment and then nodded. It would be better if she had someone to keep her company—just in case Mystique decided to make an appearance. "Come ohn; let's get goin' before someone else wakes up. It's almost seven—Logan likes ta have coffee at seven thirty."

"Oo, an adventure, sounds like fun." Tabitha and Rogue quickly and silently made their way down the hall. They peeked over the banister and began the descent down upon seeing it clear. They reached the front door without incident and were soon outside with no one the wiser.

"So," started Tabitha as they half ran, half jogged towards the front gates. "Where we going?"

"It's kinda a long story," replied Rogue as they cut over to a tree growing next to the brick wall. Rogue climbed up the tree and dropped down on the other side of the wall as Tabitha followed suit.

"I'm sure I can handle it. It's not like we have a ride to wherever it is we're going," pointed out Tabitha jumping to the ground beside Rogue. Pulling out the address Rogue sighed in agreement. She knew for a fact the apartment building was on the other side of town.

"Alright," she began. "It goes like this…"

**Bayville Spring Apartments:**

"So she's really your mother? Man that has got to be hard. I keep hearing that Mystique isn't a very generous person," said Tabitha bluntly. The two girls were situated across the street hoping to catch of Destiny either entering or leaving the building. It was already nine o'clock in the morning.

Rogue sighed as she pretended to read the newspaper in her hands. "Ah know, but she's a terrorist. What d'ya expect? Milk ahn cookies? Ya cahn't tell anyone—they'd freak. It's bad enough that Ah lived with them ahn fought the X-Men…they'd go ballistic if they knew 'bout mah ties to Mystique. Only you, Warren, ahn Logan know."

Tabitha shrugged nonchalantly and shifted feet as she leaned against the wall. "So you really think this Destiny person might have your birth certificate?"

"There's only one way ta find out," replied Rogue folding her newspaper beneath her arm. "There she goes. She's leavin'."

Rogue pointed across the street at a blind woman walking out the doors of the apartment building and then getting into a cab. Before Tabitha could say a word Rogue was halfway across the street. Tabitha shook her head and darted after Rogue. The girls were silent as they entered the building. They took the stairs so as not to receive any questions from the other residents. On the third floor Rogue looked around for number eight.

"Here it is," she murmured lightly rapping her knuckle on the door once. Tabitha eyed it carefully and then glanced around to be sure no one was watching.

"Follow me." Tabitha led Rogue over to a window leading out to the fire escape beside Destiny's apartment that looked out into the alley way. Tabitha slipped onto the fire escape with Rogue right on her heels. "Just don't tell anyone I can do this—otherwise the Professor might start locking everyone's windows at night."

"No problem," agreed Rogue readily. Tabitha grunted as she lifted the window to Destiny's apartment upwards. It took five minutes before the girls were finally inside the apartment.

"Gee, she's a bit of neat freak, isn't she?" quipped Tabitha gazing around at the bare apartment. It only held the bare essentials. Rogue didn't reply, instead she headed straight for the bedroom. Tabitha rolled her eyes as she listened to Rogue sifting through the contents she found. With a lazy yawn Tabitha set about opening the drawers of the desk. In the bottom drawer she found an official looking document staring right back at her. She picked it up and read it, her eyes widening by the second.

"No way," she breathed to herself. "Rogue! You might want to see this!"

Rogue rushed out of the bedroom and over to Tabitha. She took the paper wordlessly and ran her eyes over it from top to bottom. "No. This cahn't be right. This…"

"It's the only paper here, Rogue," said Tabitha softly.

"But…this isn't mah birth certificate. This is Kurt's! Oh mah gawd." Rogue dropped the paper as her face paled. "It makes sense…why…how…oh no. Oh no, oh no, oh no. This cahn't be happening. She was tellin' the truth. Ah…Ah gotta get outta here."

"Rogue, wait!" But Tabitha's words fell on deaf ears. Rogue had already bolted out the apartment door. Tabitha bit her lip and gazed down at the paper on the floor. "I'm really going to hate myself in the morning," she muttered to herself as she picked up the paper off the floor.

**Back at the Mansion:**

Tabitha shifted from one foot to the other as she waited for the Professor to finish scrutinizing the document in his hands. She glanced over at him when he sighed.

"And you don't want to tell me _how _you came across it?" he asked wearily.

"Look, does it really matter? All I'm gonna say is that Rogue and I just happened across it and I thought it would be in your best interest to know. It's not everyday that you learn who the mother of one of your student's is. 'Sides, don't you think Kurt has the right to know about his mom?" stated Tabitha popping a piece of gum she had tossed into her mouth earlier.

"Thank-you for your concern, Tabitha. I will handle it from here."

"Whatever you say, old man. Just doin' my job as an X-Person. You shouldn't call your students X-Men, you know, its sexist."

Professor Xavier sighed again the moment Tabitha had left his office. He had suspected the truth about Kurt and Mystique for many years now, but here was the truth right before his very eyes. He knew Tabitha hadn't been telling him the whole truth, but he figured it would all come out later. He respected his students' rights to privacy.

Now he had to deal with something he had avoided for far too long. Just then Ororo entered his office with a small frown.

"You called for me, Charles?" she asked.

"Yes, it seems that Mystique is in fact Kurt's mother. I think it is time to tell him the truth."

"Are you sure about that? Do you think he's ready for it?"

"There is no right answer for that question, Ororo. But Mystique is in town, and I believe she is looking for a way to woo Rogue back to the Brotherhood. Now would be the opportune moment to rattle Mystique's defenses. One cannot be a mother and a terrorist at the same time. She will have to choose between her child and her job."

Ororo nodded slowly. "What do you want me to do?"

**Café on the Other Side of Town:**

The waitress looked up as the bell on the door rang. She gave the man who had just wheeled himself in a smile before picking up a menu and leading him to an empty table on the far side of the restaurant. He ordered coffee and waited patiently as she disappeared to get the pot.

Xavier silently studied the woman with her blonde bob and green eyes as she poured some coffee into his cup. He cleared his throat just as she was about to leave. "I know about your child, Mystique," he said quietly.

The waitress gave a small gasp and almost dropped the pot in her hands had Xavier not used his telekinesis to hold it up. She set the pot on the table and sank down into the seat across from Xavier. "How?" she murmured.

"A birth certificate is best kept under lock and key if you do not wish your secret to be known. How long were you planning on keeping it a secret?"

"I—you don't understand, Charles. I—"

"Kurt is a fine boy, Mystique. It would be in your best interest to tell him the truth before someone else."

"T-tell him?" she stammered in surprise.

"Two students already know," said Xavier. "I would hate for one of them to tell him."

"Who else knows?"

"That shouldn't concern you." With those words Mystique watched speechlessly as Xavier placed some money on the table and then wheeled himself out of the café. Mystique sat back and twisted her apron in her hands.

Xavier was seated in his chair on the corner when Mystique burst out of the café. "I want to speak to him!" she called out. "Ask him to meet me in the park in at noon."

"Very well." Xavier nodded in agreement. Mystique turned her back on him and reentered the restaurant, wiping a tear from her eye.

**Meanwhile:**

"No," murmured Kurt shaking his head. He was seated in the Professor's office across from Ororo. The older woman took one of his hands in hers and patted it reassuringly.

"I know it is shocking, to say the least, but it is the truth, Kurt. Mystique has done many things in her life—many of them questionable and dastardly, but the one thing that she did right was have you."

"But my parents found me in the river," said Kurt wiping hot tears from his eyes. "What woman has a child and tries to drown him? It couldn't have been because I was blue and furry. Look at her! She's blue!"

"Even I don't have an answer to that, but there is someone who _does_ know. Mystique."

Kurt looked up at Ororo and sighed. "Are you sure it's true?"

"You know I would never lie about something so serious," replied Ororo with a small smile. Kurt nodded. Ororo glanced up into space and then lowered her voice even more. "She wants to meet you in the park in at noon. It's up to you, Kurt. You don't have to go…no one will force you. The Professor is on his way back to talk to the rest of the students."

"He's going to tell them?" Kurt's confidence seemed to deflate at the thought.

"Rogue and Tabitha already know. Something this big cannot be kept a secret."

"It was just a thought." Kurt heaved a heavy sigh as he leaned back in his seat. He glanced up at the clock. It was only a quarter after eleven.

**Noon:**

Rogue was on her fifth cigarette, her mind ticking away as she sifted over what she had learned today. Kurt was Mystique's son. Mystique was Kurt's mother. That meant that Kurt was Rogue's brother. It was hard to comprehend. Rogue flicked the cigarette butt out of her hand and watched it fall to the ground below. She was hidden in a tree in the park trying to hide from anyone should they be looking for her.

Rogue lit up another cigarette when she noticed someone going to sit in the swing set. It was the waitress from the café she and Warren had gone to the night before. Warren! He was supposed to be leaving soon. Just as Rogue was getting ready to jump down from the tree and head home she saw Kurt come into view. Rouge frowned as he looked around the park carefully. He was in human form, but Rogue had a funny feeling in the pit of her stomach.

It was then that the waitress got up from her swing and headed towards Kurt. Rogue stifled a gasp as the waitress shifted into Mystique.

"Kurt," greeted the blue mutant sharply.

"I just want the truth," replied Kurt bluntly. "Did you mean to kill me by throwing me in the river?"

Mystique seemed taken aback by the question. "Of course not! How could you ever think such a thing! You are my son! I wanted nothing but the best for you!"

"Then why throw me in the river?"

"I didn't throw you in! I dropped you—I was running from Magneto. He wanted me to get rid of you…because you were a mutant. He wanted to experiment on you and see if he could reverse the mutation. I couldn't let him do that. Not to you.

"I was running so I could save you. So I could save us. I wanted to raise you on my own, Kurt. I wanted to leave Magneto and his vision behind. But in running, I tripped…I thought I had lost you all those many years ago, and then I saw you with Xavier and I knew. Deep in my heart I knew that you were my son." Mystique's voice choked with heartfelt emotion. Kurt felt his own heart go out to the woman before him just as Rogue's steeled over with jealousy.

Mystique was supposed to be her mother too. But she hadn't put forth an effort in getting to know Rogue beyond her powers and potential for the team. Mystique had simply passed Rogue by with the lame excuse that she couldn't raise a child—that she hadn't wanted to. And yet, here she was telling Kurt that she had mourned him for the last fifteen years. She hadn't mourned for Rogue, and the southerner knew it.

With gritted teeth Rogue sank back further into the branches and watched as Kurt scuffed his foot in the dirt. "You're the enemy," he remarked after a while.

"I know. I'm not asking you to join my side. I'm just asking you to…accept me for who I am."

"I'll…I'll think about it."

"That's all I ask. I'll be around. I'm working at a café on the other side of town. Xavier knows the place if you want to talk," replied Mystique. Kurt nodded absently and turned to walk away. Mystique watched him go before shifting back into the waitress. Rogue waited until she was gone before dropping down to the ground. She angrily wiped the tears away from her eyes, hardening her heart with pure hatred.

She was tired of being ignored. She was tired of being looked over. She was tired of being considered an outcast. She was tired of being feared for no reason whatsoever. She wanted revenge in the worst possible way, and she knew exactly how to go about it.

**Mansion Gates:**

Warren stopped the car upon seeing Rogue standing outside the mansion gates. He beckoned her over to the window.

"I've been looking all over for you," he said giving her a quick peck on the lips.

Rogue grinned at him. "Ah'm sorry. Time just got away from meh. Ya headed back ta the city?" she asked innocently.

"Yeah, my dad keeps calling the cell—I need to get back before he sends the S.W.A.T. team after me."

"Cahn Ah tag along? Ah'm meetin' a friend in the city."

"Sure. Are you going to need a ride back later?" he agreed readily. Rogue shook her head and ran over to the passenger side. She slid in and shut the door before Warren continued on down the road. "Ah've got the ride back already covered," she murmured coolly.

"Are you okay? The Professor just told everyone about Kurt and Mystique."

Rogue rolled her eyes. "Ah'm fine. Things couldn't be better."

"You're awfully cheerful today," commented Warren suspiciously.

"For once in mah life Ah feel in control. 'Sides, now Ah'm not the only one with a screwed up mother."

"Are you going to tell anyone?"

"Too many people know as it is. Ah think Ah'll wait till the buzz dies down over Kurt's thing. He doesn't need ta know Ah'm his sister on top of findin' out who his mother is."

"Fair enough."

Back at the mansion the students were still reeling from the news. Tabitha caught Logan's eye and beckoned him to follow her outdoors.

"What is it?" Logan growled.

"I'm worried about Rogue. She told me about Mystique…she said you already knew. She totally freaked out today. I don't know where she is. And it's not like I can mention it to anyone…they'd start asking questions, and Rogue's my friend. I'm not going to rat her out like that," stated Tabitha with a shake of her head.

"Stripes was in bad shape before over Mystique—this is gonna throw her over the edge. She just needs some time to herself. She'll be back later."

"You sure?"

Logan shrugged. "How that hell am I supposed to know? I don't know shit about teenage girls. I figure Rogue has a good head on her shoulders. She'll do the right thing."

Tabitha sighed. "I hope you're right."

**New York City:**

Rogue studied the maximum security fortress carefully from the sidewalk. After saying good-bye to Warren she had made her way to the place where Magneto was being held. It was taking a lot more nerve than she had to not run away in fear. Inside that prison was the man who had tried to kill her. But she couldn't execute her plan of revenge without him. She wanted to hurt Mystique and the X-Men in the worst way possible.

"Are you gonna stand out here all day, or are you actually thinking about going in?" demanded a harsh voice. Rogue swirled around to come face to face with Pietro.

"Ah dunno," she mumbled glancing back at the prison.

"Look, if you want to see him then you better come in with me. Only family can get in," said Pietro with a troubled sigh.

"Why would ya want ta help meh?" asked Rogue without looking back at the white haired teen.

"Because he's been asking about you. He told me you were working for him."

"Bet that caught your attention, huh, Speedy?"

"I was wrong. You were in deep, Rogue. I ain't gonna apologize though."

"Didn't expect ya to." Rogue flashed Pietro a small grin. "Alright, Speedy, get meh in."

It was a half hour later when Rogue, playing the part of Pietro's sister, was led into the holding cell leading directly towards Magneto's cell. Once she was cleared of all metal Rouge was ushered into a plastic tube with a police officer. Rogue twiddled her thumbs nervously until the tube opened up into Magneto's cell.

The master of metal seemed genuinely surprised as Rogue stepped out of the tube and the door shut behind her. The policeman waited inside the tube patiently. Rogue took a seat across from Magneto at the plastic table and studied him carefully. His face was thinner, and he still seemed physically weakened than the last time she had seen him.

"This is quite a surprise," murmured Magneto with a triumphant smile.

"Let's just say ya were right 'bout Mystique. Ah'm tired of all the games Ah'm playin', Mags. Ah want control over mah life again. Ah don't like bein' bossed around by the X-Men…ahn Ah _really _don't like how Mystique betrayed meh. Ah wanna get even." Rogue's words were barely above a whisper.

Magneto sat back thoughtfully as he studied the teen girl sitting before him. He leaned forward over the table to say, "Mystique has been by as well. She's trying to get back in my good graces. Only she can get me out of here, but I don't trust her any more than you do."

"So what do Ah do?"

"You're sure you want back in, Rogue? There's no turning back after this."

Rogue gazed up with a sharp glint in her eyes. "Ah'm sure," she reassured the older man.

"Then I need you, Pietro, and Sabertooth to work with Caliban and find me three acolytes. I want loyal mutants. Ones who will work for our cause with no question. They must hate the idea of peace with the humans—they must be able to work against the X-Men.

"Pietro will get the Brotherhood back in shape while I string Mystique along until I have no use for her. You, Rogue, you will be my right hand along with Sabertooth. I trust that you can handle the responsibility?"

"'Course Ah cahn. You already have a new plan?"

"I'm still working on it, but I need a loyal team. That is the only way we can save mutant kind," answered Magneto with a shake of his head.

"Fine then. Ya got yourself a deal."

"Good, I will contact you as soon as I'm out of here."

Rogue nodded absently and stood up to go. "Take care, Mags. This place ain't exactly Buckingham Palace."

Magneto chuckled and watched as Rogue stepped back into the tube with the police officer. Rogue made her way back to Pietro who nodded at his father in acknowledgement before following Rogue back through the prison hallways.

Outside, back on the sidewalk Pietro and Rogue stood in silence.

Finally, Pietro blurted out, "So are you in?"

"'Course Ah'm in," said Rogue smoothly as she lit up a cigarette. "First things first though. We need ta get Sabertooth ahn Caliban together for a little meetin'. We've got a lot of work to do."

Pietro broke into a grin as he pulled out his cell phone. He quickly dialed a number and glanced over at Rogue appreciatively. "It's nice to have you back, Roguey."

"Sugah, you have no idea."

Two hours later Rogue, Pietro, and Sabertooth were standing around a manhole waiting for Caliban to arrive. Rogue knew he would come without warning. He always seemed to know when she was around. And Rogue wasn't disappointed this time. Caliban poked his head out of the open manhole and sighed as he crawled topside.

"I am not sure I have a good feeling about this," he said shaking his head.

Rogue grinned. "Don't worry, sugah, they ain't gonna hurt ya. You're under mah protection from now ohn. We're gonna need your help though."

"My help? For what?"

"We need three very powerful, very loyal mutants," replied Rogue toying with a white strand of her hair.

"I do really not like the sound of this." Caliban's face fell as Sabertooth growled.

"None of us do," muttered the hairy mutant angrily. "But it's in your best interest to go along with it. Rogue can save you, but she can't save all the Morlocks you hide down there."

Rogue frowned, but didn't say a word. There was nothing she could say. She couldn't go against Sabertooth on her own. Instead Rogue tried for a more diplomatic approach. "Look, sugah, you do this for meh ahn Ah'll owe ya big time. You cahn count ohn meh, remember? We _are_ friends, aren't we?"

Caliban was silent and then he nodded in agreement. He couldn't turn Rogue down. She needed him to watch over her to be sure she was safe.

"Good. Now," started Rogue becoming serious, "let's talk business."

**A/N—Okay, finals are like next week, so I'm finding a little more time to write. I hope you like the latest twist. And I hope many of you are noticing how much closer we are to getting Gambit in town. Anyway, enjoy until I can get the next chapter up.**


	28. Return of the Juggernaut

**Disclaimer: Nothing here is mine.**

**Chapter 27-Return of the Juggernaut**

Sunday morning came like every other day—loud and obnoxious. The entire household was awoken by Kurt's cries as he realized he had twenty minutes to meet Amanda and her parents at church. He managed to dress and turn on his image inducer before teleporting a block away from the church, but by then the rest of the mansion was coming to life.

Rogue was the last one downstairs and into the dining room for breakfast. But it didn't really matter. She wasn't hungry. She took her customary seat in between Bobby and St. John, both of whom were already scarfing down their food.

"Mornin', Shelia," greeted St. John as he helped himself to another pancake.

"Mornin'," replied Rogue sitting back in her seat.

"Aren't you gonna eat, Rogue?" asked Bobby pausing between bites of food to glance at the girl beside him.

"Ah'm not that hungry."

"Breakfast is like the most important meal of the day," said Kitty brightly.

"Still not hungry," murmured Rogue crossing her arms defiantly.

"Leave her alone, if she isn't hungry she isn't hungry," remarked Tabitha. "How else does a girl keep her figure?"

"Kitty is just saying that it is not healthy to skip a meal," pointed out Amara coming to her friend's defense.

"Apparently she hasn't eaten over at Lance's place," muttered Rogue. "There you're lucky if ya even get ta smell food."

St. John chuckled. "Well if ya ain't gonna eat, Shelia, can I have your plate?"

"Knock yourself out." Rogue handed the Australian teen her empty plate and watched as he loaded it with food. In the distance the phone could be heard ringing. Logan pushed out his chair and headed off to answer it. He returned within minutes, the phone in his hands. He didn't say a word as he handed it to Rogue.

"Hello?" she mumbled with a small yawn.

"Roguey? We need to talk." Lance's voice crackled over the line. Rogue frowned as she struggled to hear him over the background noise around her.

"What for?" she demanded.

"Someone came around asking for you—someone you might remember pretty well. Look, you either come now or I tell big ugly where you are."

Rogue made a face as she turned in her seat to avoid the glances she was receiving from her housemates. "Name the place, sugah. Ah'll be there."

"The park—now." Lance hung up leaving Rogue with the dial tone. She glared at the phone before turning it off. Without a word she put down the phone and excused herself from the table. She was halfway to the door when Tabitha caught up with her.

"Where ya headed?" asked the blonde.

"Apparently Lance needs ta talk with meh," replied Rogue crisply.

"Doesn't sound good."

"It probably won't be pretty. You wanna go—that way no one gets suspicious why Ah'm joltin' so early this mornin'?" Rogue breathed in relief as Tabitha shrugged in agreement. There was no way Rogue could face Lance alone. Especially after such a cryptic phone call. She didn't like the sounds of it.

**The Park:**

Rogue and Tabitha arrived at the park out of breath. Lance, Toad, and Fred were already there waiting.

"Took you long enough," muttered Lance.

"Ya coulda offered meh a ride," returned Rogue darkly. Tabitha rolled her eyes and took a seat on the swing beside Toad. "So what's the big deal? Who came by askin' 'bout meh?"

"Juggernaut."

Rogue's eyes widened in fear as she thought back to her last encounter with the large mutant. "What for?" she gasped.

"I don't know—but he's gonna make our lives hell. Pietro's been taking him on a wild goose chase this morning. I'm surprised your X-Freaks haven't gone after him yet," said Lance with a weary sigh. "He came by last night asking about you…and then Pietro came home. Man, Juggernaut went ballistic. Says he only wants to talk to you. Something about his boss wanting to meet you."

"His boss? What boss? The guy hasn't been out for even four months yet. Who the hell did he find ta work for?"

"Does it matter?" interjected Toad chewing on his nails. "The big ape almost knocked our place down last night!"

Lance nodded in agreement. "The man's pissed, Roguey. What did you do to him?"

"Meh? Ah was the one who let him go! He should be thankin' meh, not comin' after meh—or Speedy?" Understanding dawned on Rogue as she glanced over at her former teammates. "Where _is _Speedy?"

"Still runnin', I s'pose," rumbled Fred slowly.

"Look, if this guy wants trouble, we're here for you," murmured Lance. "We always will be."

"Thanks," said Rogue with a small smile. "That means a lot ta meh."

Just then a sharp breeze passed by Rogue and Lance, kicking up a cloud of dirt. When the dust cleared Pietro was standing there with his hands on his knees, panting from over exertion. "We got a _big _problem headed our way, Roguey. Juggernaut's back—and from the sounds of it, his boss wants your powers."

"If Ah could give it to him then he'd be more than welcome. But it don't work that way," growled Rogue.

"Come on, we gotta split." Pietro reached over to grab Rogue's gloved hand just as the ground began to shake. Juggernaut was running towards them.

"It's a little late now," announced Tabitha jumping out of her swing. She, Toad, and Fred came to stand beside Lance, trying to hide Rogue and Pietro from view.

"We cahn't just leave 'em," whispered Rogue tugging on Pietro's hand before he could whisk the two of them away.

Pietro took a deep breath and nodded. "Then let's show this sucker what it means to mess with the Brotherhood."

By now Juggernaut had stopped to stare at the teens before him. "Looky what I found. A bunch of kiddies to play with. All I want is The Rogue, and no one gets hurt."

"Yeah, if you want her that bad, come and get her," challenged Lance curling his hands into fists.

"Have it your way." Juggernaut began a slow run towards the teens as Lance let loose a strong tremor, unbalancing the larger mutant so that he had to come to a complete halt to steady his self.

Tabitha produced a couple of fire balls and tossed them Juggernaut's way while Toad hopped on top of him and hocked a wad of acidic spit onto his eye slits. Toad jumped away just as the fire balls exploded with a loud boom. Fred cracked his muscles and positioned his self directly in front of the Juggernaut as he wiped away the spit—he had barely flinched from the explosion.

"Yo, anyone know the guy's weakness?" called out Toad hopefully. The others shook their heads, each wondering how on earth they were going to get out of this alive.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the park Kurt and Amanda were walking hand in hand towards her house. Her parents were warming up to him…but he had yet to confess to Amanda exactly who he was.

"Amanda, can I tell you something?" questioned Kurt working up the nerve to confess the truth.

"Of course," answered Amanda with a sweet smile. "What's on your mind?"

Kurt opened his mouth to speak when the two lovebirds heard an explosion coming from the other end of the park. Instinctively Kurt knew it was mutant trouble. "Amanda, get home. Go home and stay there until I call you." With those words Kurt dashed off down the sidewalk toward the commotion, leaving a momentarily confused Amanda behind.

Within seconds Kurt could see the raging battle going on with Juggernaut. He pulled his COM link out of his pocket, and turned it on. "I need help! Juggernaut is attacking at the park! Rogue and Tabitha are with the Brotherhood—they can't hold him off for long!" he yelled desperately. Without waiting for a reply Kurt turned off his image inducer and teleported into the middle of the fray.

"Kurt?" asked Rogue incredulously as he popped to her side.

"What is going on here?" shrieked the blue mutant.

"What does it look like?" retorted Tabitha good naturedly. She threw five more fire balls at the Juggernaut—only to watch them bounce right off of him as he and Fred were trying to knock one another down.

"This is crazy! Why didn't you call for back up?"

Lance grinned. "Not so tough on your own, are ya?"

Rogue shook her head, her face serious. "Cut it out, guys. We've got a real problem here. This guy isn't fallin' down like everyone else does."

"It's his helmet," explained Pietro stopping for a breather after attempting to make Juggernaut dizzy by circling him a couple of hundred times. "If we can just get that piece of metal off of him we'd be able to stop him."

"Oh sure," muttered Kurt. "That's easy enough."

"Alright, then here's how we do it," started Rogue. "Kurt, you're gonna unlatch the helmet while the others distract him. Then Ah'll drain him—trust meh, one touch ahn the guy'll be out like a babe."

"I hope you're right. Here goes nothing." Pietro took off at breakneck speed as Lance exerted his energy to cause a rift in the ground, right below Juggernaut's feet. Tabitha and Toad alternated between fireballs and acid while Fred tried to knock the other man down. Kurt and Rogue watched carefully as they circled around to the back. With a quick prayer under his breath Kurt teleported onto Juggernaut's back and unlatched one of the hooks right before he was thrown off into a tree unconscious.

"Kurt!" Amanda's scream jolted everyone's attention to the dark haired girl as she scrambled over to the blue mutant with tears streaming down her face. Rogue took advantage of the brief distraction to run up behind Juggernaut and pull the other latch unlocked. Juggernaut pushed Fred to the ground and turned to catch Rogue. The southern mutant easily maneuvered into a back flip to avoid being caught. It was with that movement that Pietro sped by and unlocked the third latch on the helmet.

"Stop that!" roared Juggernaut as the helmet flopped open.

"You want meh? Then ya cahn have meh." Rogue allowed Juggernaut to grab a hold of her waist and pull her towards him with a triumphant grin. He didn't notice her bare hand until it was too late. Rogue latched onto his neck, and gasped as her powers instantly kicked in. The thoughts that rushed into her mind were fast and dark. She let go and stumbled to the ground as Juggernaut came tumbling after her. Rogue backed away into Pietro's outstretched arms, preventing her from falling down. Juggernaut crashed to the ground, shaking everyone off balance.

"You alright?" whispered Pietro with concern in his voice. Rogue nodded wearily.

"Man, he hits hard," she murmured as Pietro lowered her to the ground.

"Hey, Rogue!" called out Tabitha. "Kurt's pretty out of it!"

"Is he alright?" sobbed Amanda clutching Kurt in her arms. Tabitha shrugged helplessly. Nearby Lance and Toad were trying to help Fred off the ground just as the X-Men arrived.

"What the hell happened here?" demanded Wolverine. Storm shot him a look as she and Cyclops went to inspect Juggernaut.

"He's out," claimed Cyclops, relief evident in his voice.

"No kidding," agreed Spyke. Beside him Iceman was too busy glancing over at Rogue who was still sitting with Pietro.

"The authorities are on their way," announced Xavier as he wheeled himself into view. "The scientists are very relieved to find Juggernaut has been apprehended. Though it remains to be seen why he returned in the first place."

All eyes ventured over to Rogue who was clutching Pietro's arm. She tried to ignore their looks as her mind turned over what it had retrieved from Juggernaut. The part that stood out clearly was a sinister looking face of grey and black. Whoever it was had wanted her for something diabolical. Another plan was Rogue's guess. But she wasn't willing to volunteer her newfound knowledge.

"What?" she shot back with a glare. "Why doncha just wait till he wakes up ahn ask him? Ah just knocked him out—end of story."

"Leave her alone," added Pietro as he got to his feet. He reached down a hand and pulled Rogue up after him, saying for her ears alone. "Caliban was looking for you earlier."

Rogue nodded. "Let's go," she mumbled trying to take a step. Rogue gritted her teeth in frustration as she realized she was still too weak to walk unaided. Upon seeing this Pietro wrapped an arm around her waist and the two began to retreat from the scene.

Wolverine let out a growl. "Where d'ya think you're headed?"

"Speedy owes meh a victory dinner—Ah just saved his life. Don't wait up," replied Rogue without giving the older mutant a backwards glance.

"Don't you like think that you should come back to the mansion and recover?" asked Shadow Cat curiously.

"Ah'll take a rain check. 'Sides, Ah think Blue needs your help. Amanda cahn't take care of him ohn her own." Rogue's words startled the X-Men. They glanced over to where Kurt was lying with Amanda and Tabitha on either side of him.

"Oh boy," sighed Jean. "We've got a lot of explaining to do."

**Abandoned House:**

Pietro stumbled through the doorway, still holding onto Rogue. He kicked the door shut behind him and led Rogue over to the dusty couch sitting in front of the shuttered window. Sabertooth watched on with little interest as the two teens sank down into the couch gratefully.

"Rough day?" he snarled.

Rogue peered out at him though half-open eyes. "Fuck off."

Caliban entered the front room and eyed Rogue anxiously. "The Juggernaut is a worthy foe," he said softly. "You could have been seriously injured."

"Ah'm fine." Rogue rested her head on Pietro's shoulder, struggling to keep conscious. Truth be told her latest draining had taken a lot out of her. More than she had anticipated. Sabertooth narrowed his eyes at the mention of Juggernaut, but kept his mouth shut.

"So what do you have for us, Pale-Face?"

Caliban chose his words carefully. "Three mutants. That is what you wanted, isn't it?"

"Yeah, you found them already?" Pietro was surprised.

"One is already in Bayville. Another is on his way. The third—the third you shall have to coerce to your side."

"Who are they?" asked Rogue.

"The one known as Pyro. The second will be the foreign exchange student you have yet to encounter. He is not yet here, but his parents have already come to check out Bayville High. Their son is an artist and New York is full of potential. And the third, he is the Prince of Thieves. He will only come for money…and he will only come if the price is right. But these three will be loyal until the bitter end."

Rogue groaned. "Great. Ya couldn't have made it easy for us, huh?"

"You asked for loyalty, not ease." Caliban gave Rogue a grim smile, letting her know he was only teasing.

"Well, Pyro Ah cahn handle since he lives with meh now. Speedy cahn make friends with the artist whenever he arrives. Hey, Sabby, that leaves you with the other guy." Rogue seemed pleased with herself at the thought. She had the easiest one out of the whole bunch.

"Where is he?" Sabertooth looked over at Caliban who was frowning.

"New Orleans."

"Sounds like a road trip to me, Sabby. Guess that means we're gonna be without your sorry excuse of a face for a while," chuckled Pietro. Sabertooth growled.

"Don't push your luck, boy."

"Play nice," warned Rogue as she closed her eyes once more. She was still completely oblivious to the fact that her pillow was really Pietro.

"Fine, I'll go to New Orleans and bring back the mutant we need. But I'm takin' Pale-Face with me. That way I ain't wandering around the swamps for weeks on end."

Caliban was silent, but then he nodded in agreement. "The young ones should be alright holding down the fort on their own."

"Right," murmured Rogue close to sleep.

"We'll be back in a week," warned Sabertooth. "That means you have a week to put the Brotherhood back in shape, Whitey. I don't give a damn if the boss is your old man. Do the job right and maybe I won't kill you."

Pietro didn't say a word as he watched Sabertooth usher Caliban out of the abandoned house. He glanced down at Rogue who was now fast asleep. He scowled and shifted so that her head rested on his chest and not his shoulder. Pietro leaned back on the couch and shut his eyes as well. It really had been a long day.

**A/N—Alright, so I'm trying to plot out the next couple of chapters…but I might just wing it from now on. Winter break is coming—and my computer is due for an update, so I'll try and get a few more chapters up really soon. Just to warn you I'm going home for Christmas Break, so I'll try and write out the chapters, but I'm not sure how much computer access I'll actually get. So bear with me, okay? Thanks. **


	29. Ground Rules

**Disclaimer: This really does get tedious after a while. You all know this doesn't belong to me.**

**Chapter 28-Ground Rules**

Rogue blinked open her eyes and groaned wearily. Her entire body ached, and her head was beginning to hurt as well. The room was dark and cold, as well as dusty. She struggled to remember where exactly she was until she tried to sit up. There was someone next to her. With lightning speed Rogue instantly pushed the person away from her and flinched when she heard a loud thud.

"What the hell?" demanded Pietro groggily. Rogue breathed in relief. Now she knew where she was. She was still in the abandoned house with Pietro. Rogue had only fought Juggernaut hours early…much earlier.

"What time is it?" hissed Rogue as she fumbled her hand along the wall for a light switch. She found what she was looking for and flipped the light on. Both teens blinked as their eyes adjusted to the dim glow.

Pietro glanced at his watch, his eyes widening in surprise. "Holy shit! It's ten o'clock!"

"What?" Rogue grabbed Pietro's wrist and pulled it towards her in horror. It was in fact ten o'clock. "Aw man, Ah'm so dead. Logan's gonna kill meh!"

"Sorry…I didn't think I'd sleep for that long," murmured Pietro sheepishly as Rogue let go of his arm.

"It's not your fault, Speedy. It was a long day. Ah guess Ah shouldn't have crashed here. Ah should've gone back ta the mansion afta the meetin' today." Rogue heaved a heavy sigh and ran a hand though her hair; trying to smooth out any kinks she may have gotten during her nap.

"I'll take you home," offered Pietro. He took Rogue by the hand and the two friends quickly left the abandoned house.

"No runnin'," warned Rogue. "Mah head's beginnin' ta ache. Ah don't think runnin' is gonna make it any better."

Pietro stifled a groan and let go of Rogue's hand. He stuffed his own hands in his pocket as he walked alongside of Rogue. Every once in a while he would glance over at her only to see her chewing on a strand of white hair nervously. It was ten thirty by the time they made it to the gates of the mansion.

"See you tomorrow," said Pietro giving Rogue a lazy wave. Rogue returned his wave with a small smile and watched as he took off down the street, a blur in the wind. With another sigh Rogue pushed her way through the gates and headed up the driveway towards the mansion. Her heart sank further as she realized the lights were still on.

"Here goes nothin'," she muttered under her breath. Rogue opened the front door and quietly closed it shut. When she turned around, however, Logan was staring back at her with arms crossed and a deep frown.

"Where the hell have you been?" he asked gruffly.

"Out," replied Rogue coolly.

"Out. Curfew is ten o'clock on weekends. Tomorrow is a school day. I don't have to repeat myself, do I?"

"Nah, you're makin' yourself loud ahn clear, sugah. Ah just lost track of time, that's all. Ah took a little nap—it's been a long day."

"You should have come straight back here—I don't know why Chuck thinks you should be left on your own. You ain't makin' any bright decisions. Goin' off with ol' metal head's son…makes me think you ain't playin' nice with us."

Rogue's eyes narrowed in anger. "Are you tryin' to say somethin', sugah? 'Cause if Ah was you Ah'd just spit it out. No use dancin' around what ya really wanna say."

"What's the deal with you and Whitey?" Logan didn't need to be asked twice to let it out. He was beyond pissed over Rogue's lack of respect for authority.

"He's just a friend, old man. What's the big deal? Ah made a little mistake—Ah'm sorry. Now, if ya don't mind, Ah'm goin' ta bed. Ah have a headache." With that Rogue pushed past Logan and headed up the staircase.

"I'll be seein' you bright and early, Stripes. I think four a.m. oughtta do it!" called out Logan darkly. Rogue ignored him as she made her way to the room she shared with Kitty. She didn't give a damn about anything anymore.

**The Next Day:**

Rogue was the last one out of the Danger Room by six o'clock in the morning. Logan had been true to his word starting the session at four. Unfortunately the entire mansion had been roped into the session. And it had quickly spread that it was Rogue's fault everyone had been forced to get up so early to train. She had broken curfew.

More than enough grumbles and dark looks had been sent her way, making Rogue angry and hurt at the same time. Now it seemed no one but Tabitha was talking to her. Even Bobby was unusually silent towards her. But what made Rogue even angrier was the fact that her body was still weak from the day before. Her reflexes were slower than she liked, and her head was still aching, although not as much as it had been after draining the Juggernaut.

"I can't believe we had to get up so early!" exclaimed Amara for the third time as she and Kitty walked in front of Rogue and Tabitha. They were making their way back to their respective bedrooms to change for school.

"Like me either. Maybe if _some_one hadn't been out past ten last night, we wouldn't be in this mess," agreed Kitty half-heartedly. Truth be told she didn't want to get Rogue pissed since she had to share a room with the southerner.

"Fuck off," muttered Rogue pushing past the girls and quickening her pace.

"What's wrong with her?" questioned Amara.

Tabitha snorted. "Well it is getting old—all the whining and the moaning and the groaning. God, why can't you people just grow up, huh? So she broke curfew? It's not like she did it on purpose. Didn't you see her this morning? She's still weak after yesterday's little game with Juggernaut. Better watch out, Amara, she might take her anger out on you soon."

Amara's eyes widened in fear as she stopped mid-step. She watched as Tabitha made her way into the bedroom she shared before rushing after her. "She wouldn't really, would she?" was the girl's desperate reply.

Kitty shook her head and entered her own room. Rogue was already in the shower. Kitty rifled through her closet until she found her favorite pink shirt, waiting for Rogue to finish up. She didn't have to wait for long. Rogue walked out of the bathroom and dutifully ignored her roommate as she set about drying her hair.

With bated breath Kitty skittered into the bathroom, hoping that Rogue would be gone by the time she got out. She really didn't want to face an angry Rogue. She had seen firsthand the kind of results that achieved.

Rogue rolled her eyes and finished getting dressed. She was the first one downstairs when a small explosion echoed through the house, followed by two more. Rogue glanced over at the staircase just in time to see Tabitha running down with Amara on her heels.

"That wasn't funny!" shrieked the young princess hysterically. Tabitha grinned at Rogue as she flung open the front door to make her escape. Instead, Tabitha bumped right into Logan who was entering the mansion.

"Oops," murmured Tabitha making a face. Amara gave her roommate a triumphant grin as she launched into a woebegone tale of her bathwater, bed, and closet exploding simultaneously.

Logan gritted his teeth as he looked down at Tabitha who was innocently twiddling her thumbs. "Chuck's office—now!" he ordered pushing her down the hallway.

"What about me?" wailed Amara.

"Go clean the mess! I don't have time for this kind of crap today!" snapped Logan. He shot Rogue a dark look before turning to follow behind Tabitha. Rogue glanced up the stairwell one last time before hightailing it out of the mansion. She wasn't going to wait for a ride today. It would probably be much safer just to walk.

Rogue was halfway to school when she felt a breeze whip past her. Pietro skidded to a halt and waited for Rogue to catch up with him at her slow pace.

"Something wrong, Roguey?" he asked as he tried to slow his own pace to walk with Rogue.

"Well, the X-Men hate meh again 'cause Ah broke curfew ahn got everyone a four a.m. training session. Ah figured walkin' would be mah best bet today, but mah head still hurts a little. How 'bout you, how come ya ain't gettin' a ride with Lance?"

Pietro grimaced. "They didn't like it when I got back last night and told them I was in charge of the Brotherhood. They laughed like it was some kinda joke—up until I informed them that Magneto was planning on returning soon. That shut them up. This morning they tried to poison me. Apparently they'd much rather have Mystique back than have me in charge."

Rogue chuckled. "Sounds like Lance ain't too happy he got looked over for the job. He _was_ pretty much the leader when Ah was around."

"I know. Now he's pissed, but there's nothing he can do about it. 'Sides, the better looking guy always wins in the end." Pietro grinned cockily as Rogue gave him a shake of her head.

"Just as long as you get them in shape," she said. "You boys really need ta train some more. It's embarrassin' watchin' y'all attempt ta fight against others."

"Gee, Roguey, thanks for the moral support."

"Anytime, sugah, that's what Ah'm here for."

**Lunch:**

Rogue glanced up from her lone seat as Pietro dropped an empty tray on the table. The white haired teen had remnants of salad in his hair. Rogue glanced over at the Brotherhood who were busy talking in a small huddle over their own table.

"That bad?" she asked.

"They stole my food," replied Pietro glumly. Rogue sighed. She wasn't doing much better either. She had been sitting all alone because Tabitha had wound up in detention for sticking gum in Amara's hair during P.E. And of course, none of Rogue's other housemates were going to sit with her. They were still upset over the early training session.

"Hey mates, can I sit with you?" asked St. John. He took a seat beside Rogue without waiting for an answer. "The rest of the pack is still grumblin' over this mornin', Shelia. I thought it was fun. I got to play with fire."

"Is he for real?" questioned Pietro as he tried to pick the salad out of his hair.

Rogue smiled. "Pietro, this is St. John Allerdyce. He's one of mah new housemates."

St. John looked around carefully before whispering, "I'm a pyromaniac."

"You don't say?" Pietro eyed the red haired teen appraisingly before returning to his hair.

"You know, mate, you're supposed to eat the salad. Not wear it."

"Really? I didn't know that," remarked Pietro sarcastically.

"He's havin' some roommate issues too," explained Rogue hastily as St. John sent her a confused look. St. John nodded in understanding and went back to eating off of his tray.

On the other side of the cafeteria Kurt was busy talking to Amanda. He hadn't seen her since he had been knocked out by Juggernaut. And he really wanted to explain everything.

"Kurt," said Amanda taking his hands in hers. "I don't care what you are. I like you for who you are inside."

"Really? You don't mind that I'm…" Kurt looked around anxiously as Amanda supplied the answers quietly.

"Blue and furry? No, I think it's cute. I don't care that you're a…you know…As long as you're doing good then it doesn't really matter, does it?" Amanda gazed into Kurt's eyes imploringly, causing the German teen to blush.

"I knew I liked you for a reason," he murmured. Amanda giggled and gave Kurt a quick peck on the lips.

"We okay?" she murmured. Kurt nodded with relief flooding through him. Everything was going to be okay.

**That Afternoon:**

Rogue rubbed her head gingerly as she walked up the driveway towards the mansion. Her head was still throbbing and all that she really wanted was a nice long nap under her warm covers.

"Hey, Rogue!" called out Tabitha. "You wanna come?"

Rogue looked over towards the garage where Tabitha was standing next to one of the jeeps used by the X-Men. She headed over to Tabitha in time to see Kitty hop into the driver's seat.

"Where ya goin'?" asked Rogue carefully as Kitty played with the rearview mirror before buckling up.

"I'm taking the Kitty-cat out to drive. She's getting her license soon," answered Tabitha walking over to the passenger side of the jeep.

"Is it even safe?" demanded Rogue as Kitty started the jeep.

"Like sure it is, Rogue. I just need some more practice. Would you believe that no one likes to take me out driving? Tabitha just volunteered," said Kitty with a small giggle. Rogue raised her eyebrows at Tabitha who shrugged in response.

"Yeah, well, it beats being grounded. We're just taking a spin around the yard. This thing has four wheel drive. Don't wait up!" Tabitha switched the jeep into gear and cheered as Kitty took off down the driveway, narrowly missing Evan, St. John, Bobby, and Kurt. The boys came to stand beside Rogue and watch as Kitty tried to maneuver the jeep through the front lawn.

"Dude, someone should tell her that's not how you're supposed to drive," murmured Kurt flinching as Kitty barely missed hitting a tree.

"I think it's your turn, Evan," agreed Bobby patting his friend on the back.

Evan vigorously shook his head. "Nuh-uh, there's no way I'm going out there. She's dangerous."

"Oy, look!" cried out St. John pointing in excitement. "The Sheila's got herself stuck in the fountain. Sure enough the jeep was half in and half out of the fountain. Tabitha was hanging over the dashboard trying to inspect their position.

Rogue shook her head and turned to go upstairs for her nap when she Logan coming their way. "Oh no," she muttered. The boys turned and quickly scattered, except for St. John who was still laughing at the scene in the front lawn.

"What's so funny?" asked Logan as he stopped right behind the teens. Rogue made a face as St. John stopped laughing. They both glanced over in the direction of the fountain where Kitty and Tabitha were now circling the jeep. Logan growled before heading towards the two teen girls.

"Think they're in for it?" whispered St. John. Rogue nodded soundlessly as she absently rubbed her temples. The two watched in silence as Logan yelled and waved his arms around angrily. Kitty soon burst into tears and ran towards the house. She passed Rogue and St. John without a second glance just as Tabitha began to yell back at Logan. Minutes passed and finally it was all over.

Tabitha stormed away from Logan and back towards the house. She grabbed Rogue by the arm and dragged the southerner up the stairs and into Tabitha's room. Tabitha shut the door behind her, grumbling under her breath as she began to yank out her dresser drawers and upturn them on the bed.

"What are you doin'?" asked Rogue as she tried to make out some of what Tabitha was saying to herself.

"Leaving, what does it look like? I'm sick and tired of all these rules. Do this, don't do that, be home at this time, don't act out, don't be yourself, be an X-Man, don't be a nuisance, listen to your teachers, don't play around, be serious, don't be sad—argh! It's all such a load of bullshit! I can't believe these people!" exclaimed Tabitha stuffing her things into a small suitcase.

"So where are ya goin'?"

"I don't know—" Tabitha's head snapped up with an evil glint in her eyes. "Actually, maybe I'll go stay with the Brotherhood. Yeah, they aren't so bad. That way I can still go to school, but I don't have to follow anyone's rules but my own."

"You sure about that?" hedged Rogue slowly. "They ain't exactly the best housemates."

"Yeah, yeah. They'll learn within a few hours that I'm not someone to be messed with." Tabitha brushed off Rogue's concern easily. "We're still friends, right?"

"'Course we are. You're the only one who doesn't mind bein' seen with meh." Rogue smiled and then sighed. "Just be careful over there. Mystique is still in town…she's just keepin' herself hidden for a while."

Tabitha grinned. "Good for her. I'll make sure she keeps outta your hair if I see her again."

"Thanks." Rogue sank down onto Tabitha's bed wearily and brought a gloved hand up to her forehead. Tabitha noticed and made a face.

"Still not feeling well?"

Rogue shook her head. "Ah've had a headache since yesterday. It should go away in a couple of days. It usually takes a while before Ah'm back ta normal afta Ah take someone's powers."

Tabitha nodded, still frowning. "Just let me know if you need something, okay? You aren't looking too well."

"Ah will, Ah promise."

It was an hour later when Rogue was finally able to retreat into her bedroom. Tabitha was gone, well on her way to the boarding house to raise some hell with her new roommates; Kitty was in Jean's room crying her eyes out to the older girl—partly because Logan had forbidden her to ever drive again, and partly because she was worried about Tabitha living at the boarding house. She didn't trust the troublemaking blonde around Lance.

Rogue plopped down on the bed and closed her eyes. She was ready to drift off to sleep when the phone next to the bed rang. She groaned and picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Rogue!"

"Hey Warren." Rogue sat up in her bed and made herself comfortable as her boyfriend babbled on about work and his father.

"But how are you?" he asked finally.

Rogue groaned. She didn't know how to answer that question anymore. Instead she launched into a long winded narrative of her near escape from Juggernaut, purposefully not mentioning her meeting with Sabertooth and Caliban, before complaining about her headache. Everything else simply wasn't important.

**A/n—Okay, this chapter really seems like a filler chapter, but there are some important events for the next few. Now, I'm not going to be able to update for a while. Check out my profile/bio page to get the full explanation. Just bear with me, I'm already working on the next couple of chapters so I'll have something to update later on. Thanks for all the reviews—keep them coming!**


	30. Fragile

**Disclaimer: Obviously this doesn't belong to me.**

**Chapter 29-Fragile**

"Rogue! Like wake up, Rogue! _Rogue!_" Kitty gritted her teeth in annoyance as she tried to shake Rogue awake. The southern teen groaned as she slowly opened her eyes.

"Are you okay, Rogue? I've been trying to wake you up for the last twenty minutes!"

"Really?" Rogue sat up and winced in pain. Her head seemed to be worse this morning.

"What's wrong?" asked Kitty, her tone reflecting some concern for the other girl.

"Just a headache," mumbled Rogue.

Kitty's face brightened. This was something she could handle. "I know just the thing!" she said opening the drawer of the nightstand. Kitty quickly pulled out a small bottle of aspirin and handed it to Rogue.

"Uh, thanks." Rogue took the bottle and offered Kitty a small smile. Kitty grinned back at her before exiting their room. Rogue sighed as she opened the bottle and took out two aspirin.

It was unusual for her to get a headache for such a long period of time. It had been almost two days since Tabitha had moved into the boarding house with the Brotherhood, and Rogue's head was still aching. All she knew for sure was that it had to be a result of the last time she had used her powers. There was no other explanation. And now it was starting to grate on Rogue's nerves. She was tired of the pain, tired of being weak, and tired of feeling so off-center.

"What the hell does a girl hafta do ta feel normal these days?" moaned Rogue as she swallowed the aspirin.

It took Rogue almost thirty minutes to get ready for school. By the time she made it downstairs everyone had already left for school. Well, almost everyone.

"Hey, Rogue," murmured Evan as Rogue trudged towards the front door.

"Hey. What are you still doin' here?"

Evan made a face. "Jean's on a warpath. She left early to break things off with Duncan for good. Something about him making other plans on their next anniversary—without her."

"Ah see…she took off with Scott's car again, huh?"

"Yeah. Last I heard Scott was running after his car. He needs to get his keys back before his big date with Taryn tonight."

Rogue rolled her eyes. "Go figure. Ah take it you're walkin' ta school?"

"I was gonna skateboard—but I left my board in my locker," replied Evan with a sheepish shrug. "Wanna walk with me?"

"Might as well." Rogue followed Evan out the door and the two teens began the walk to school. As they walked Evan struggled to keep his pace slow enough to match Rogue's.

"Uh, Rogue," he began after glancing at his watch for a third time, "we're gonna be late if we don't pick up the pace."

"Ah know, Ah just…" Rogue's voice trailed off as she felt her knees buckle beneath her, causing her to slump towards the ground. Evan's eyes widened in surprise as he leapt forward to catch her.

"Hey! What's wrong with you, Rogue?" he demanded as Rogue struggled to keep her eyes open.

"Sorry…Ah'm just weak…"

"Get your hands off her, you scumbag!" Pietro's order went unheeded as Evan lowered Rogue to the ground. Pietro shoved Evan aside and knelt beside Rogue whose head was slumped against her chest. Evan hit the ground hard and made a face as he felt himself sprout spikes all over his body.

"Nice one, Maximoff," muttered Evan as he pushed himself to his feet.

Pietro snickered as he snuck a peek at Evan who now resembled a dinosaur. Or at least that's how Pietro saw him as. "Looking good, Daniels. Think anyone at school will notice your new look?"

"Fuck you." Evan tried to retract his spikes, but to no avail. He groaned in disbelief as Pietro burst into laughter. Rogue's eyes fluttered open at the sound.

"Speedy?" she murmured in confusion.

Instantly Pietro was alert, his full attention back on Rogue. "I'm right here, Roguey. How are you feeling?"

"Like Ah got hit by a train." Rogue glanced over at Evan and furrowed her eyebrows. "What's wrong with Evan?"

"He's having a little mutation problem," replied Pietro with a shrug after another glance at Evan; the other teen was still trying to retract his spikes.

"That's one way of putting it," grumbled Evan giving up. He smacked Pietro in the back of the head as he knelt beside Rogue.

Rogue blinked sleep ridden eyes at Evan as she tried to understand what he was saying. "Rogue, what's wrong with you?"

"Ah don't really know. Mah head hurts ahn Ah feel real weak. Maybe Ah just need some more sleep."

"Maybe you should move back in with us, Roguey," suggested Pietro shooting Evan a dirty look.

"Only if she wants to die," snorted Evan. Rogue winced as their bickering made her head throb twice as hard.

"Guys, really, you're not helpin' any," she murmured rubbing her temples gingerly. Both Pietro and Evan lapsed into a temporary silence.

"Is there anythin we can do?" asked Evan after a while.

"How 'bout ya help meh back up?" replied Rogue. Pietro and Evan jumped back on their feet, each reaching a hand down to grasp Rogue and pull her into a standing position. Rogue stumbled briefly before Pietro slipped an arm around her waist.

"Don't worry, Roguey. Just stick with me and I'll take good care of you," said Pietro pasting another cocky grin on his face.

Evan rolled his eyes. "You probably shouldn't go to school in your condition. The teachers might get suspicious if you have Maximoff glued to you all day."

"Then what do we do?" demanded Rogue as she tried to ignore Pietro's arm around her waist.

"I dunno about you two but I'm gonna head over to the skate park—as soon as I can hide my spikes." Evan muttered the last part under his breath, inspecting his body at the same time.

"How original," murmured Pietro with a roll of his eyes.

"For your information, Maximoff, I'm supposed to be in a tournament today. Dammit, I can't compete looking like this!"

Rogue sighed. "Walk it off."

"Walk it off?" shrieked Evan incredulously. "Are you crazy?"

"I'd do more than that if I were you." The new voice came from the shadows of a nearby alley. Rogue, Pietro, and Evan turned anxiously as the figure stepped out of the alley.

At first glance the figure looked like a tall, gangly boy, but on closer inspection was really a girl. Her hair was short and dark, and she had a patch over one of her dark eyes.

"Who are you?" asked Evan suspiciously.

"Callisto of the Morlocks," answered the girl dryly. Both Rogue and Pietro stiffened at her words. With a small gulp Rogue clutched Pietro's shoulder tightly, praying that Callisto did not know exactly who she was. Rogue wasn't sure if Caliban had ever mentioned her to the rest of the Morlocks in the sewers.

"Yeah, well whaddya want?" growled Pietro.

Callisto chuckled. "You tell me. Are you three so comfortable with yourselves that you don't mind standing out in plain view of the rest of the world?"

Evan's eyes widened as he dashed into the shadows. Rogue gritted her teeth and tried to take a step forward, but felt her head swim as a result.

"Hop up," ordered Pietro stepping in front of Rogue. He crouched down low enough for Rogue to place her gloved hands on his shoulders. With a resigned sigh Rogue wrapped her arms around Pietro's neck and hoisted herself onto his back. Pietro straightened up and secured his hands under Rogue's legs before following Callisto further down the alley way.

"It's not everyday that I come across a mutant quite like you," murmured Callisto circling Evan. She tapped her chin thoughtfully as she studied Evan's spikes.

"Gee, thanks, I'll take that as a compliment," said Evan bitterly.

"How much longer do you think society will accept you? Look at you—you're losing control, aren't you?" asked Callisto smoothly. "Once a mutant loses control of their powers it's only a matter of time before they are forced to hide."

"Hide?" Rogue raised her eyebrows in disbelief. Callisto glanced at the southerner with a glint in her eye.

"Yes hide. Why do you think the Morlocks make their home in the sewers? It's because of how we look. Humans will never accept us for who we are—and neither will mutants like yourselves. _We_ are outcasts." Callisto turned back to Evan.

"What? Don't look at me like that! This," Evan gestured at himself wildly, "_isn't_ how I look normally."

"Your mutation is evolving," stated Callisto. "Pretty soon you won't be able to leave home. Will the X-Men still keep you as one of their own?"

"How do you know so much about him?" quipped Pietro in curiosity.

"We Morlocks know more than anyone else. Rumors, secrets, everything is exposed down below."

"Great," mumbled Pietro. "Remind me to stop talking to myself in the mirror."

Rogue giggled before addressing Callisto. "So why are you really here?"

"I'm offering Evan a place when the time is right. The Morlocks welcome all who seek their aid."

Evan shook his head. "Thanks, but no thanks. I'll be fine." With those words he was finally able to retract his spikes. "If you guys will excuse me, I'm late for class."

Callisto turned to Pietro and Rogue the second Evan had vanished from sight. "You two are the talk of the sewers. If I were loyal to anyone but myself I would unmask you for who you really are. But right now I wanna see you two try and pull off your deeds. I'll be watching…so _don't _try to involve my people."

Rogue and Pietro watched warily as Callisto turned her back and trudged down the alleyway.

"Is she for real?" whispered Pietro re-shifting Rogue on his back.

"Ah think so, sugah."

"Great. Life is starting to look up for us, Roguey. Next thing you know the Morlocks are gonna invite us down for a party."

"Yeah, well they probably wouldn't let us back up if we went."

"I'll keep that in mind." Pietro shook his head and shifted Rogue once more before returning to the sidewalk. "Where to now?"

**School:**

Tabitha threw open the cafeteria doors and narrowed her eyes as she searched the crowded lunchroom. Within minutes she found who she was looking for. Putting on a mischievous grin Tabitha made her way over to one particular table.

Kitty glanced up in annoyance at the small shadow that had been cast over her and Lance. Standing there was Tabitha. Lance grinned appreciatively at his new housemate and let go of Kitty's hands. He leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms across his chest.

"Hey Tabs."

"Lance. Kitty-cat. Having a romantic lunch?" returned Tabitha wryly.

Kitty glowered. "Like what do you want?"

"Just wondering if either of you has seen Rogue today."

Lance frowned. "No. She wasn't in homeroom earlier, or chemistry. Come to think of it, I haven't seen Pietro either."

"Ew! Like Rogue would have to be crazy to be ditching with Pietro." Kitty shuddered at the thought.

"Oh, I dunno," murmured Tabitha with a chuckle, "_I _wouldn't mind being out and about with the speedster. He's pretty damn hot. 'Course, I think he might have a thing for Rogue…"

"Rogue's dating Warren," pointed out Kitty.

"Pietro better keep his hands off Rogue if he knows what's good for him," growled Lance darkly. Kitty made a face at her boyfriend's obvious jealousy.

"Hey Shelia," greeted St. John bounding over to Tabitha. "Have you seen Rogue? I've got somethin' juicy to tell her."

"If it like has anything to do with Bobby's crush on Rogue then forget it. I think she already knows," replied Kitty. St. John's face fell before he turned around to search for Bobby.

"Hey mate!" he shouted upon catching sight of the blonde teen. "If the Shelia already knows ya like her I don't know why you're tryin' to keep it a secret!" As St. John bounded after a red faced Bobby, Evan burst into the cafeteria. He paused to catch his breath just as Scott walked over to him.

"I wonder where he's been all morning," murmured Kitty. Tabitha glanced at her questioningly. Kitty rolled her eyes. "He wasn't in class this morning. I figured he was like ditching or something since he didn't get a ride to school with the rest of us."

"Huh." Tabitha pursed her lips thoughtfully. "I wonder if he saw Rogue today. "Oh, Evan! I've got a few questions for you!"

**Park:**

Rogue leaned back against the trunk of a tree, lazily plucking at dead grass. Beside her Pietro was lounging on the ground with his hands behind his head, and his eyes were closed. They had come to the unspoken agreement to spend the rest of the day at the park. With a content sigh Rogue closed her eyes in hopes for a break from her headache. But the moment her eyes closed whispers began to echo within her mind.

"_Marie, ya know Ah wanted ta travel the world with ya…but not like this."_

"_Ja, the man has a point. Can we leave yet?"_

"_C'mon, Roguey—let me outta here!"_

"_This like totally sucks! What did I do to deserve this?"_

"_Man, the second I'm free form you I'm gonna light you up like the fourth of July!"_

"_Rogue, you're too dangerous for the rest of the world! One way or another I'm gong to put a stop to your evil ways!"_

"_Child, why have you hurt so many people? What could you possibly gain from it?"_

"_Look, kid, you let me go and I'll try and go easy on ya, huh?"_

"_Hey Roguey, I've run around your head hundreds of times now—there ain't enough thoughts about me in here. You need to work on that."_

"_Let me go! You can't trap me forever! No one can!"_

"_Aw, Rogue, what an intriguing gift you have. I do believe you will become my greatest asset in the war against mankind."_

"No!" Rogue woke up with a start, beads of sweat rolling down her face. Pietro sat up just as quickly with a bewildered expression on his face.

"Rogue?"

Rogue turned to Pietro and burst into tears. This couldn't be happening to her…if it really was happening. Maybe she had only dreamed it up. There couldn't possibly be voices in her head…voices of the ones she had touched using her ever-present curse. It had to be the stress. Pietro pulled Rogue into his arms and made soothing noises as he rocked her back and forth.

"Is something wrong?" asked a female voice. Pietro and Rogue glanced up at a teenage girl with tufts of purple in her black hair, and a splash of freckles across her face. She blinked innocently at the two on the ground, awaiting an answer.

"Uh…" started Pietro trying to come up with a reasonable excuse.

"Ah'm havin' family problems," spoke up Rogue softly. "A screwed up mother, no father. It's all startin' ta hit meh now 'cause Ah'm, um, piecin' it all together."

"Don't you just hate that?" replied the girl with a knowing smile.

"Huh?"

"I've got the same kind of issues with my family. My parents split when I was three—I haven't seen my mom since, and my new step-mom is a total bitch."

Pietro frowned. "And you are?"

"Oh, sorry. The name's Risty. I just moved into town. I was supposed to be at school today…but I didn't feel like going. Are you guys in school?"

Rogue winced and pulled herself away from Pietro. Leaning back against the tree she said, "Ah didn't feel up ta it today. Ah've got this incredible headache…ahn it sure as hell ain't goin' away any time soon."

"That sucks." Risty sat down in front of Rogue and Pietro uninvited. But before Pietro could open his mouth and tell the girl to get lost, Rogue started talking again.

"Hey, is that your favorite band?" she asked pointing at Risty's shirt.

"You bet! Their latest album is like the soundtrack to my life."

"Really? Ah thought for sure Ah was the only one ohn the planet who liked them."

Pietro scrunched up his nose in disgust as the two girls began talking about their favorite songs and band members. He for one had never heard of the band, but that wasn't what was bothering him. There was something _odd _about Risty. Something _familiar_ that he couldn't quite put a finger on. All he knew for sure was that he didn't like her, and judging by the glint in her dark eyes the feeling was mutual.

Minutes turned into hours and before long it was four o'clock.

Risty glanced down at her watch and groaned. "I gotta jet. I'm supposed to meet my dad at the library in fifteen minutes. I'll see you tomorrow, Rogue."

"Bye!" Rogue waved good-bye and watched Risty jog down the sidewalk. It was the first time in her life that she had really connected with someone her age.

"Kindred spirit," murmured Rogue.

"What?" asked Pietro making a face.

Rogue chuckled. "Nothin'. Just somethin' Ah read in a book once."

Pietro nodded along absently. "Right. C'mon, Roguey, I'll walk ya partway home. I've gotta get the guys in shape."

"Good luck." Rogue sighed and allowed Pietro to help her to her feet.

"Your head any better?" he whispered questioningly into her ear as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Somewhat." Rogue gave her friend a reassuring smile as they walked through the park. She would worry about her dreams another time. About twenty minutes later the pair came across the small café where Mystique was secretly working. Rogue ground her teeth without thinking.

"What? Do I smell or something?" Pietro let go of Rogue and turned around to sniff and inspect himself.

Rogue shook her head trying to put a smile onto her face. "No…um, Ah just miss Warren. This is where he took meh ohn our first date."

"Are you still dating that doofus?" demanded Pietro.

"Of course Ah am, ahn he's not a doofus. He really cares about meh."

"I could name a few people _here_—within walking distance—who care about you, Roguey. I think you're wasting your time with that pansy ass rich boy."

"Oh, ahn Ah take it you have someone else in mind for meh, huh?" returned Rogue with raised eyebrows.

"I could name one…or two," mumbled Pietro under his breath. Rogue rolled her eyes and turned to peer through the café window. What she saw took her breath away—and not in a good way.

Sitting in the center of the café were Kurt and a blonde waitress. Mystique. Rogue couldn't tell what they were talking about, but from where she was standing they looked like they were getting along just fine.

"Hey!" started Pietro peering into the café as well. "Is that Kurt? What's he doing with that woman? She's twice his age! You know, Roguey, I think I've been underestimating those geeky teammates of yours."

"Trust meh, you're not," replied Rogue dryly.

"Then who's the lady?"

"No one important. C'mon, Speedy, Ah thought ya had ta teach the boys some teamwork or somethin'."

Pietro shot Rogue a grin as he slung his arm around her shoulder again. "I wouldn't miss a walk with you for anything."

"Don't push it, Speedy." The pair lapsed into silence until they came across the road leading towards the mansion.

"Catch ya later." Pietro gave Rogue a wink before heading towards the boarding house. Rogue stuck her gloved hands in her coat pockets and began her trek down the paved road. Her head still ached, but she pushed her concern aside when she entered the front door of the mansion.

Ororo was sobbing in Logan's arms, while Jean and Kitty tried to comfort her with soft pats on the back. Logan glanced up at Rogue with a trapped look in his eyes.

"What's goin' ohn?"

"Evan!" cried out Ororo turning to look at Rogue. Disappointment clouded her face just as Logan pulled her back into his embrace.

Jean sighed wearily. "Evan was ousted as mutant today. At the skateboarding tournament."

"Oh gawd—his mutation!" exclaimed Rogue thinking back to earlier that morning.

Scott nodded. "Yeah. He evolved…there's no hiding who he is. He turned down an image inducer—he said it wouldn't be right."

"I still don't like understand any of this," said Kitty. "He like never wanted to be a mutant. He hated his powers. Why wouldn't he want to hide it?"

Rogue swallowed before speaking. "This mornin' we met a Morlock…she gave us this whole spiel ohn bein' outcast…she, uh, made it clear who would be welcome ahn who wouldn't."

"The Morlocks?" Jean shook her head in disbelief.

"We have to get him back!" said Ororo. "We _have_ to go after him."

"Fine. Let's suit up." Logan gave in and the X-Men set about getting ready for their latest mission. All but Rogue. She knew that there was probably nothing anyone could do or say now to help Evan. Not after Callisto's speech and offer to join the Morlocks. If Rogue had been put into that situation she knew that she would choose sewer life over one with humans and mutants always at each other's throats. It was ten times safer down below.

Instead Rogue made it upstairs and to her room. With a grateful sigh she shut the bedroom door and sank down onto her bed. He head had resorted to a dull ache, but she chose to go on ignoring it. She began preparing for bed, with every intention of skipping supper, when the phone rang.

"Please be Warren," murmured Rogue as she reached for the phone. "Hello?"

"Rogue—trouble is brewing! You are in grave danger!" Destiny's voice made Rogue wince. Why couldn't she be left alone?

"Stop callin' meh!" cried Rogue angrily.

Destiny ignored Rogue's warning. "Be careful, Rogue! Your powers are—"

Rogue hung up the phone with a satisfied smirk and unplugged the line. No more. She was tired of cryptic phone calls. All she wanted was to sleep in peace.

**A/N—Well, my vacation is finally over and school starts up next week, so now I'll be able to pick up this story again. This past month with no writing has helped me come up with some more ideas for this story. I hope you like this chapter, despite the fact that I'm a little rusty.**


	31. Shattered

**Disclaimer: Still not mine.**

**Chapter 30—Shattered**

Rogue was stirring a cup of coffee when she felt a presence behind her. Without looking up she instinctively knew that it was Logan.

"What are you doing up so early?" asked the older X-Man taking a seat across from Rogue at the counter.

"Couldn't sleep," replied Rogue softly. That was an understatement. Every time she closed her eyes the whispers would start up. Eventually she had given up on sleep and decided to make some coffee in hopes that the caffeine would drive away her headache. But Rogue wasn't ready to confess this to just anyone, so instead she steered the conversation away from her. "How's Ororo?"

"She cried for five hours before fallin' asleep—and now I'm out of a bed. You'd think that because she's so small she wouldn't take up that much room," snorted Logan. He got up and set about pouring himself a cup of coffee as well.

Rogue grimaced. "Ah'm sorry ta hear that."

"_No you aren't—you never even got a chance to drain Evan. You aren't sorry at all."_

"_Like back off. Maybe she liked him."_

"_Aw, fuck off. She would never date a chump like Evan."_

"_And yet she dated you. Evan would be a step up for her after you."_

"_No-no-no-no. I can think of one other person who would be ten times better for Rogue. Me."_

"_You? Don't make me laugh, kid. You're nothin' but a goddamn spoiled brat. Gimme one hour with you in the danger room and I promise I'll have you singin' a different tune."_

"_Why is there so much violence? Hasn't there been more than enough tonight?"_

And then there was silence. Rogue blinked, startled as Logan repeated her name.

"Yeah?" she murmured.

"You all right kid? You're lookin' kinda pale," pointed out Logan studying her face carefully. The southern girl seemed shaken…and partially afraid of something.

"Ah'm alright…just stressed 'bout school."

"Didn't know you even cared about school, Stripes, especially considerin' the fact that you didn't bother to show up yesterday."

Rogue winced. She knew it had been too good to be true to hope that no one had mentioned her absence in front of Logan. "Ya heard about that?"

"I don't like the fact that you're hangin' around that pipsqueak of a mutant. He's no good," stated Logan darkly. Truth be told he hated all males when it came to Rogue, and that worried him. Her paternity was still unknown, but it seemed he was the only one at the mansion concerned about Rogue's safety and well being. And that single thought was the scariest thing Logan had ever come across. He wasn't used to feeling responsible for someone other than himself.

"He's mah friend. Ah trust him. 'Sides, you cahn't tell meh who Ah cahn and cahn't be friends with," shot back Rogue.

"_You tell him, Roguey!"_

"_Isn't it like dangerous to piss Mr. Logan off?"_

"_Be careful, Rogue. If Logan ever finds out you're keeping us in here he'll tear you to shreds."_

"_And would that really be a shame?"_

"_Why'd ya hafta turn into a mutant, Marie? Why?"_

"Hey, are you even listening to me?" demanded Logan.

Rogue snapped. "Stop it! Leave meh alone! Why cahn't y'all just leave meh alone?" She jumped to her feet, knocking over her cup of coffee as she fled the kitchen. Rogue was losing her mind.

"Damn teenagers," growled Logan grabbing a paper towel to clean off the counter.

Meanwhile Rogue was already out the front door of the mansion just as the rest of the household was beginning to stir. She couldn't face them—the ones she had drained; the ones that were inside her head, always whispering to her. Rogue wanted out. She wanted her life back.

Somehow, despite all her frazzled thoughts, Rogue found herself standing outside the front door of the boarding house. She raised her hand and gave a tentative knock. In all honesty, Rogue had nowhere else to go.

The door flung open, revealing a tousled haired Toad. Right behind him stood Fred scratching his oversized gut just as Lance and Pietro made their way downstairs. All four boys froze upon seeing Rogue, but she was already hurtling herself into Pietro's arms.

"Rogue?" asked Lance, his eyes widening in surprise.

"Ah feel so outta control," she sobbed into Pietro's shirt as the speed demon wrapped his arms around her.

"Hey now, it'll be alright. We're here for you," murmured Pietro soothingly. He locked eyes with Lance, sharing a concerned look for Rogue. Fred shut the door and leaned back against it.

"Did I just miss something here?" asked Toad in confusion.

"What is the deal here? Why the hell is someone knocking at our door when it's not even—" Tabitha stopped short upon seeing Rogue in Pietro's arms. "Rogue? Omigod! What happened? Are you alright? Is everything okay?"

The blonde girl shoved Pietro aside and wrapped an arm around Rogue's shoulders. Together the two teens made their way upstairs to the room Tabitha was staying in, which happened to be Rogue's old one.

"What's wrong, Rogue?" questioned Tabitha sitting beside her friend on the bed.

Rogue gave a small sniff. "Mah head—it hasn't stopped hurtin' since Juggernaut, ahn now…ahn now Ah'm hearin' voices in mah head."

"_In _your head? What kind of voices?"

"Voices of everyone Ah've touched since Ah got mah curse. Gawd, Tabs, Ah think Ah'm losin' mah mind. What if Ah need ta be locked up like Juggernaut? D'ya think Ah'm getting' too dangerous ta be free?" Rogue glanced up at Tabitha who was vigorously shaking her head.

"You're fine, Rogue. There's gotta be some kind of explanation behind all this. We just need to figure it out, okay? I promise, I'm not gonna let anyone lock up my best friend. It wouldn't be fun to torture Kitty all by myself."

"Thanks. Ah mean it. Ah'm just…Ah'm scared."

Tabitha grinned. "Yeah, I'd be scared too if I was running to a real charmer instead of my boyfriend in my time of need."

Rogue's eyes widened. "What? It's not like that—"

Tabitha cut Rogue off with a snort. "Oh please, you can't possibly tell me that you're actually oblivious to the way Pietro looks at you. The guy is _so _into you it's not even funny. He and Lance have been butting heads over all the time Speedy spends with you."

"Maybe Ah should just join a convent. Ah bet nuns don't have this much stress," sighed Rogue.

**School:**

Rogue ignored the looks the X-Men cast her as she made her way through the school doors with Tabitha and Pietro flanked on either side of her. Keeping her eyes straight ahead, Rogue walked over to her locker and opened it up. She shook her head as Pietro opened his mouth to say something. Rogue wasn't sure she wanted to hear what he had to say—not after what Tabitha had told her. Pietro frowned but disappeared in the direction of his locker. Tabitha snickered and tagged along since Pietro's locker happened to be right beside Lance's.

"Hey Rogue! What's up?" Risty's cheerful voice startled Rogue out of her downcast mood. She glanced over at the funky teen standing beside her, and couldn't keep the smile from slipping out.

"Tired," murmured Rogue shutting her locker carefully.

Risty scrunched up her nose as she got a better look at Rogue's face. The southern belle had shadows under her eyes and looked ready to collapse. "You look like you could sleep for the next hundred years."

"Ah _feel _like Ah could sleep for the next hundred years."

"Must suck to be you then, huh? So, are you gonna tell me what's the deal with that guy you're always with? Are you guys dating?"

Rogue blinked in surprise at Risty's rapid change of topic. "Pietro? Nah, we're just friends. Mah boyfriend lives in New York City. Warren Worthington."

"Huh…sounds…nice," replied Risty twisting her face thoughtfully. Rogue shrugged. She didn't expect Risty to know who Warren was…Rogue wasn't exactly the bragging type. She didn't want to be hounded by anyone trying to find out about one of the richest men in New York. That would totally kill any chance of privacy she might ever have.

"Attention students! This is the principal speaking. Please report to the auditorium for a school assembly. Attendance is mandatory." The P.A. system buzzed off again just as the student body began to groan. School assemblies were always a bore. There was never enough room in the auditorium to seat everyone.

Rogue made a face as she backed up against her locker. A school assembly was the last place in the world she wanted to be. Around her students began to drift off in the direction of the auditorium. As groups brushed past her Rogue could feel beads of sweat forming on her forehead. There were just too many people heading in the same direction. Frozen in her spot, Rogue shut her eyes and willed everyone to pass her by without any accidents.

"_Go on, Rogue, just reach out your hand and touch one. There's more than enough room up here for an 'I Hate Rogue Party'."_

"_I thought we were encouraging her to let us go—not the other way around!"_

"_But one more stolen power will take her another step closer to becoming invincible. It's the ultimate power. Tempting, isn't it, Rogue?"_

"_Is she the enemy? I thought she was our friend."_

"_You mutants are crazy, did ya know that? Don't listen to them, Marie! Get rid of your curse ahn come back home where you belong."_

"_Things will never be the same. You can't turn back now, Rogue, you've come too far—it is time for you to start a new chapter in your life. Let go of your fears and embrace who you are."_

"Rogue? Are you alright?" came the distant voice of Risty.

Rogue's eyes flickered open just as her head began to spin. All of a sudden she felt faint. She could see the tinge of blackness surrounding the world around her. Her legs buckled beneath her and Rogue would have fallen to the ground had Risty not reached out to grab her. It was at this precise moment that Rogue felt the new chapter in her life begin.

Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. Rogue was falling to the ground; Pietro was rushing her way; the Brotherhood stood stock still as the X-Men turned to watch in disbelief just in time to see Risty stretch out a small hand and grasp Rogue around the wrist.

Both girls locked eyes upon the realization that Risty's bare hand had connected with a patch of Rogue's own bare skin.

Rogue's eyes widened as her powers instantly kicked in, draining Risty. Only, the thoughts flooding Rogue's mind were not teenage thoughts. They were the thoughts of a mutant terrorist. Mystique.

Risty opened her mouth in a silent scream, her image shifting from Risty to Raven Darkholme, to a blonde waitress, to the blue skin of her true self. Her hand burned as she let go of Rogue, both of them tumbling to the ground.

Noise flooded Rogue's senses. Above her Rogue could hear Pietro trying to launch himself at Mystique while Lance and Scott held him back; Kitty was screaming in shock; Jean was yelling at Kitty to shut up so she could block off all the auditorium exits in case any humans heard them; Kurt and Bobby were fumbling for the COM link to call for backup as everyone else stood their ground, each one waiting for the next move.

Mystique hoisted herself to her knees, groaning in pain. She felt as though she had just been hit by a train. She glanced over at the still figure of Rogue just as the southerner began to stir.

Rogue gave a soft moan as her hands went up to her head. The voices were louder, each one trying to be heard over the other. Mixed in there were jumbled memories of every person she had ever touched. One second she was reliving Cody's first day of football practice, then she was reliving Kitty's first date with Kurt, then it moved on to Logan fighting Sabertooth, Juggernaut picking on the Professor as children, Ororo being stoned by her peers, Lance grieving over the death of his father, Jubilee twirling a baton at a football game, the moment when Jean first met Scott, Pietro attending a funeral, Kurt bowing to applause of a circus audience, Magneto screaming for his parents in a concentration camp, and then Mystique agreeing to give Magneto full access to her daughter in exchange for a chance to be with her son after a brief conversation with Destiny.

It was that last memory that Rogue concentrated on, building up her anger and pain. Never had she felt so betrayed before. Never had she hated someone so much as she did Mystique. Never had she felt as powerful as she did now.

Raw, unfiltered power swirled around within Rogue. She could feel the voices in her mind coming to life, fighting to break free from the confines of Rogue's mind. Rogue was barely hanging on to sanity when her voice spoke to her.

"_Let go."_

With those two words Rogue snapped. Within seconds she was on her feet staring down at Mystique with an icy calm. Her emerald green eyes spoke volumes upon volumes of the deep hatred she felt inside.

Mystique gulped as she recognized the look on Rogue's face. She had seen it only once before on the face of Rogue's father…but on Rogue the look was ten times more menacing. Rogue looked ready to kill.

When Rogue spoke her voice was quiet, but oh so venomous. "Ah've been waitin' for a chance to get even with ya for handin' meh over ta Mags like ya did ohn Liberty Island…ahn now that Ah've got mah chance Ah'm startin' ta change mah mind. Makin' ya suffer will _never_ change what you've done! You sold meh out years before Ah even had mah powers! For what? Your son? What about meh, huh? What about the daughter you abandoned ohn a stranger's doorstep?

"You don't deserve ta live, Mystique. Ah cahn never forgive what you've done ta meh. You will experience pain like nothin' else in the world. Ahn unlike you, Ah'm not so merciful, Mystique. Your death will last an eternity. Makes ya wish you had aborted meh when ya had the chance, doesn't it? Because now you'll see what Ah cahn do…who Ah really am."

A soft red glow surrounded Rogue as she floated up into the air. Her eyes were a filmy white and her fingertips crackled with unused fireworks. The front doors of the school flew open bringing in a gust of wind. A crash of thunder sounded outside as the lockers began to rattle open. Rogue extended a single hand, lifting the weak form of Mystique up as well. But when she spoke her voice was oddly detached.

"Now has come the time for the world to fear the one called Rogue. Let the master of darkness finally learn what he must contend with on the day of reckoning. _This _is only a small morsel of ultimate power, there is so much more for the taking. Let all who stand here now come to terms with true evil, for it will be thy doom."

"What the hell is going on?" shrieked Tabitha as she tried to shield herself from the wind.

"Hell if I know," replied Lance gritting his teeth, "but I'll tell you this. That ain't Rogue talkin'!"

Jean dropped her hands to her side, forgetting that she was supposed to be keeping the humans safe inside the auditorium. Her attention was focused on Rogue. "It can't be," she murmured to herself.

"Rogue, don't do this!" shouted Kurt running towards the brunette and Mystique. "You can't kill her!"

"Get lost," growled Rogue, her accent returning. She flicked another hand in Kurt's direction and sent the German teen flying into the lockers. His image inducer broke upon contact, returning him to his naturally blue and furry form.

"Rogue, you have to stop this," said Scott taking a tentative step forward. "Killing Mystique is not the answer."

"What do you know?" snapped Rogue. Her attention flickered over to the tall teen, shifting away from Mystique for half a second. But that was what Scott had been planning on.

"Now!" he ordered. Rogue's eyes widened in surprise as Tabitha tossed two fireballs at her back, the explosion sending her to the ground. Mystique hit the floor hard but scrambled to her feet and ran outside. Rogue pushed herself off the ground and narrowed her eyes at the mutants surrounding her. Without a word she headed for the doors freezing everyone with a wave of her hand. The doors slammed shut and X-Men and Brotherhood found themselves free to move again.

"Man," grumbled Kurt, "she has more control over Jean's powers than Jean does."

"We have to stop her!" said Jean with a wild look in her eyes. "She's a danger to herself now!"

Lance shook his head. "There's no way we can hurt Rogue—she's our friend."

"If we don't like put a stop to this now we could like totally be next," pointed out Kitty.

"How the hell is Rogue even able to access these powers?" demanded Pietro.

Tabitha grimaced. "I might know a little something about that. She's had this killer headache since the fight with Juggernaut. When she came over this morning she was complaining about voices in her head. I thought she was just, you know, exaggerating, or dreaming. But, uh, now it doesn't really look like that…"

"Well then the good news is that the Professor, Logan, and Ororo are on their way over," started Bobby. "But the bad news is I that I think Rogue's starting without us." He pointed a finger out a side window to where Rogue had torn apart a car and twisted the frame into a cage for Mystique.

Rogue eyed Mystique coldly as she planted her feet on the ground. She grabbed Mystique by the neck with a bare hand and smiled at the evident fear in her mother's eyes. "Sucks to be you, doesn't it?" hissed Rogue as her powers kicked in once more. Mystique opened her mouth, gasping for air as Rogue watched on in amusement. For once the draining wasn't affecting her at all.

"Let her go, kid!" called out Wolverine as he and Storm dropped down from the sky. Rogue let go of Mystique and whirled around to face the two adults.

"This ain't your fight, ol' man."

"You don't wanna kill her, kid. Trust me," was Wolverine's reply.

Rogue snorted. "Trust meh, sugah, Ah do wanna kill her. She doesn't deserve ta live, so don't get in mah way."

"Try and stop me." Wolverine's claws slid out of his knuckles just as he launched himself at a dead run towards Rogue. Without batting an eyelash Rogue extended a single hand and stopped Wolverine in his tracks.

"Ya really are made of metal. How interestin'," chuckled Rogue tilting her head to one side. With a satisfied smirk Rogue sent Wolverine reeling backwards in pain as she turned her attention over to Storm. The weather witch was eyeing Rogue carefully with white eyes. Glancing up Rogue watched with disinterest as lighting flashed in the sky. Four tornados touched the ground, each one headed directly for Rogue.

"Amateurs," muttered the southerner under her breath. Her eyes filmed over as well as she locked eyes with Storm. The white haired woman gasped as the four tornados merged into one giant tornado headed straight for the school. "Think ya cahn save the humans in time?" taunted Rogue. "Ah don't."

Wolverine struggled to his feet as Storm took off after the tornado. "You're really startin' to bug the hell outta me, kid."

Rogue rolled her eyes and looked ready to speak when the rest of the X-Men and Brotherhood came to stand behind him. Rogue set her lips in a thin line as she studied the mutants below her. The entire situation was fueling her anger.

"Why cahn't ya people just leave meh alone. You could never begin ta understand what Ah'm goin' through! That woman is mah mother—she abandoned meh, and then promised Magneto that he could use meh when mah powers came into play! What kind of sick person agrees to hand over their own flesh ahn blood like that? Ah will _never _forgiver her! _Never! _Don't you get it? Death is the only thing that could ever repay her debts! Ah _will _kill her, ahn if y'all get in mah way then Ah'm sorry ta say that Ah'll probably kill you too. Ah'm tired of playin' fair."

Jean pushed her way to the front, a pleading look in her eyes. "Rogue, you need to fight it! You aren't in control anymore. I-I can help you if you let me."

"Ah don't need ta be in control for anything anymore. Ah'm tired of fightin'."

"Rogue, you don't understand what's inside of you!"

"Ah probably understand it better than you do," snapped Rogue.

"Roguey, don't do this," pleaded Pietro. "Mystique ain't worth it."

For a response Rogue hailed another gust of wind, knocking the newer X-Men to their feet. Lance balled his hands into fists and let loose a powerful tremor as Pietro sped towards Rogue as fast as he could. Rogue teleported out of the way and reappeared in the air with a car. She tossed the vehicle in Fred and Kurt's direction. Kurt teleported away as Fred punched the thing before it hit him.

But Rogue was already moving on. Using Jubilee's powers, Rogue shot at Scott and Bobby. The two boys quickly jumped out of the way to avoid the brunt of the explosion as St. John pulled out his trusty lighter. He flipped the lid open, exposing the flame and sent a large fire ball towards Rogue. The ball seemed to engulf Rogue, but when it disappeared she was unscathed.

"Is it just me, or is the Shelia kinda scary?" asked St. John running a nervous hand through his hair.

Bobby sighed. "Whatever it is she's downright dangerous…I wonder if Warren even knows what he got himself into."

Up above Rogue was uprooting trees and cars from the ground and hurling them at her friends. Deep within herself though she knew what was happening, and she wanted it to stop. At first losing control and giving in to her anger felt right, but now—now it scared her. There was no part of Rogue that was calling the shots; it was something else, something that fed of fear, anger, and uncultured hate. All Rogue wanted now was to return to the way things had been before she had given in to her emotions.

In the distance Rogue glimpsed Storm heading back towards her. Unconsciously Rogue made it hail. On the ground she saw her friends trying to shield themselves from the falling ice balls.

"Owowowowow!" cried out Kurt taking cover beneath jeep. "Man, why did Mystique have pretend to be a student during Rogue's crazy stage?"

"Dude, cut her a break," muttered Tabitha crawling beside Kurt. "Didn't you hear what she said? Mystique screwed her over. Rogue's your sister. You guys share the same fucked up mom."

"Hey—"

"No, don't hey me, Mystique chose you over Rogue. How would you feel if it was the other way around? If Mystique chose Rogue over you?"

Kurt lapsed into silence as he gazed back at Rogue in the air. She seemed to be protected by a telekinetic shield as the X-Men used their powers against her. Try as he might though, Kurt didn't see any similarities between him and Rogue linking them as siblings. Sure he had worried about her after the Ellis Island incident, but it wasn't as though they were the best of friends now. Rogue wasn't exactly the easiest person to get along with.

Pietro was busy dodging falling debris and hail stones. Out of breath he paused beside Jean who was cowering behind a tree trunk. "Scared, Jeanie?"

"Rogue is embracing these powers like they were her own. She doesn't hold back. I…I could never do this. My powers…I don't even know why I'm telling you this," sighed Jean wearily upon noticing it was Pietro beside her.

"Alright, what are you holding back, Jean?" demanded Pietro straightening up. Jean flinched at the serious tone of voice he was using. She glanced up at him and was surprised by the look in his eyes. Pietro seemed to genuinely care about Rogue's well being.

Jean took a deep breath before saying, "My x-gene is abnormal. The professor is always telling me that I have great potential…and it scares me because whenever he says that he's always manages to slip in a lecture about knowing right from wrong, and not giving in to…I have this whole other part of me that I don't even utilize. My DNA not only reflects that I'm a mutant, but…my x-gene, it um, it…"

"Jean, if this in anyway helps Rogue, spill! This is the girl of my dreams we're talking about!" hissed Pietro grabbing the red head by the shoulders and shaking her.

"Girl of your dreams?" repeated Jean, dumbfounded.

Pietro groaned. "Forget I said that…what about your fancy shmancy x-gene?"

"It's been evolving…my powers have been growing stronger every year, and not because I train every day, but because evolution is speeding up again. What happened to Evan—that's becoming a normal occurrence nowadays."

"What does this have to do with Rogue?"

Jean made a face. "My x-gene has its own little persona…it practically thinks for itself. When Rogue drained me I was angry, she was angry…my gene feeds off anger. So when Rogue took a part of me with her I was freaked by the possible ramifications of doing so. But I thought that Rogue only borrowed other powers for a short period of time. But when Tabitha mentioned all the headaches Rogue's been having lately I…I think Rogue might be able to, uh, save, for the lack of a better word, powers after she drains someone."

"Come again? You're doing smart talk here. Do Pietro talk," replied Pietro frowning.

"Rogue borrows powers. No one knows what kind of psychological toll that takes on her after every draining. As far as I can tell she takes a part of the person's personality when she drains them…but I don't know for sure if that new persona actually leaves her mind. I'm taking a wild guess here, but I think Rogue's built in mind barriers trap the personas in her mind. And I also think that there's more to Rogue's powers than we know. If she's able to tap into these reserved powers, think of what this means…Rogue is quite possibly one of the most powerful mutants to ever grace this planet. She could become invincible."

Pietro blew out a small breath as he snuck a glance over at Rogue. "Who else knows about this little theory of yours?" he asked quietly.

"No one, why?"

"You can't tell anyone, Jean. Rogue doesn't like her powers anyway; she's _really _not gonna like the fact that she could become that powerful." Pietro lapsed into silence, apparently lost deep in thought. "So this other you that, uh, seems to be taking over Rogue…do you think it has control of all of Rogue?"

"I don't know. It depends on how strong Rogue is inside. If there's anything worth fighting control for. After hearing what Mystique's done for her…Rogue's gonna need something stable to ground her and keep her going."

"And I think I know just the thing. God, I'm gonna hate myself tomorrow." Pietro furrowed his eyebrows as he pulled his cell phone out of his pants pockets. Jean watched as Pietro quickly dialed a number and waited for the person on the other end to pick up. "Warren? It's Pietro Maximoff—would you just listen. It's about Rogue. She's gone a little…haywire. No, it's not my fault…look, would you just talk to her? Maybe she'll listen to you. Hold on. I have to somehow get within a close enough distance to hand her the phone without getting killed. Ha. Ha. You're real funny, you know that? Did you ever consider becoming a comedian?"

"You think it'll work?" murmured Jean apprehensively.

Pietro shrugged. "Can you get me over there?"

"I can!" announced Kurt popping over beside them. "Get you where? Oh, there," he muttered as Jean and Pietro pointed at Rogue. "Just give me a nice funeral, would you?"

Rogue felt beads of sweat drip down her face as she struggled to stop all the fighting. She paused in tossing Wolverine through the air once more when Pietro and Kurt popped into the air beside them. She froze Pietro in place as Kurt disappeared.

With a tiny gulp Pietro handed Rogue his phone as her eyes bore into his. "Please, Roguey?" he whispered.

Taking the fun Rogue brought the device to her ears. She could make out Warren's voice on the other end, but it was Pietro that her mind was concentrating on. Of all the sources she had drained, and of all the voices in her head, Pietro's was the only honest one out of the bunch.

Pietro could tell Rogue wasn't paying attention to Warren. Heck, she wasn't even paying attention to the mutants on the ground. He could tell there was a battle raging inside Rogue's head. "Roguey? You know I'm here for you, don't you? I'm always here for you. I know you're hurting…Mystique deserves to die, you're right. But you won't be the one killing her if you don't get control of yourself again, you know? You can't make her pay like this…it'd be a total waste."

"_I believe in you, Roguey. Let go."_

"Ah…Ah…" Rogue closed her eyes and let a single tear fall down her cheek. This wasn't what she wanted. Inside she could feel the voices subsiding in fear. They had seen the damage inflicted today, they had been part of it. And while some rejoiced, others retreated from the surface, giving Rogue some room to breathe.

When Rogue opened her eyes they were back to their emerald green color. Around her the weather returned to normal. Pietro felt the power keeping him in the air falter, but just as quickly Jean was keeping him and Rogue in place. Rogue dropped the cell phone, her eyes flickering shut in exhaustion as she wrapped her arms around Pietro's neck.

"Thank-you," she murmured softly. Pietro didn't say a word. He didn't know what to say. He didn't even know what he had done.

Jean brought the pair of mutants to the ground, and tentatively the rest of the teens, along with Storm and Wolverine came to stand in a circle around them. Rogue's knees buckled, but Pietro swiftly caught her before she could fall.

Kitty was the first to speak. "Like, are you alright?"

Rogue didn't speak. She cast a glance over to the makeshift cage she had made for Mystique. It was empty. Angrily, she wiped away a tear before burying her face in Pietro's shirt. It had all been for nothing.

"Rogue," came the voice of the professor. "How are you feeling? I know you've gone through a lot today…the truth is always a harsh mistress."

The professor continued speaking but Rogue didn't hear him. Glancing over Pietro's shoulder she glimpsed Kurt staring at the empty cage mournfully. He looked up and stared at Rogue before turning away, wiping tears of his own.

"However, I feel that I can help you, Rogue. After you get some rest I can help you learn to control your powers. I think it's best you were gone before the school is able to get out of the auditorium. Logan and Ororo will escort you to the mansion while I clean up here."

Rogue shook her head. "No. Ah'm not goin' back, Professor." She sighed at the looks cast her way. "Ah don't think it'd be the best right now…" her voice trailed off as she gave Kurt a meaningful look.

Logan was already grinding his teeth. "Now look here, Stripes, I don't think you're in the position to make any decisions—"

The professor held up a hand for silence. "If that is what you want, Rogue, then I shall abide by your decision."

"Where are you gonna go?" asked Scott suspiciously.

"Ah'm just gonna crash over at Speedy's place for a while. Ah'll be back…just not now. Ah've got a lot of thinkin' ta do. Ah don't know if bein' an X-Man is really for meh. Ah have too many issues. Ahn today…what Ah did…Ah'm no better than _her_."

No one had to ask whom Rogue meant. It was evident that Mystique would always be behind Rogue's actions, no matter how hard she tried to break away from the terrorist. Without another word Pietro lifted Rogue in his arms and led the Brotherhood and Tabitha away from the disaster area.

The X-Men were silent as they watched the group walk away. Kurt cast one last glance at their retreating figures before turning his back on the school as well. He thrust a furry hand in his pockets and stared out at the road leading towards the mansion. He had a lot of thinking to do as well.

"Kurt," started Kitty cautiously.

"I don't wanna talk about it," replied Kurt harshly. And then he was gone in a puff of smoke.

Bobby sighed and tried to wipe some of the dirt of his soiled clothing. Giving up he peered over at Jean curiously. "So what _were_ you and Pietro talking about during the battle?"

Jean shifted uncomfortably under the eyes sent her way. "Uh, it was, um, nothing. Nothing important," she finished quietly. She let out a deep breath in relief when no one pushed the issue. She had to keep the promise if only to protect her own self. Jean wasn't sure she could handle what everyone would think if they knew what was inside of her.

**Boardinghouse:**

Rogue clutched a pillow to her chest as she listened to Pietro on the phone. Sabertooth had called and now Pietro was informing the beast on the latest turn of events. Rogue turned to look at Pietro as he hung up the phone on his nightstand.

"Have they found whatshisface yet?" she questioned tiredly.

Pietro shook his head with a snort. "Nah, the guy figured out they were trailing him and gave them the slip. Whiskers is pretty pissed off. I don't think I've heard him this mad since his last fight with Wolverine."

Rogue nodded absently. Pietro heaved a heavy sigh and went to sit on the edge of his bed that Rogue had currently taken over. "Are you alright? About the whole…Mystique thing?"

"You were right," said Rogue. "Ah want her ta know it's really meh killing her, ahn not some possessed meh. The professor was right though, the truth does hurt. She practically handed meh over to your dad ohn a silver platter…she never wanted meh. Ah don't think Ah'll ever really know why. But Ah guess Ah'm no better than her. Look at meh, Ah'm workin' for Mags again, Ah'm losin' control of mahself, ahn all Ah really want is ta be normal."

"I think you're doing just fine," murmured Pietro as Rogue sat up to face him. "You're the strongest person I know. If it had been me today, I don't know if I could have held back on everyone like you did. It was obvious you were only trying to hurt the ones you knew could get away."

Rogue gave a tiny chuckle. "Ah did, didn't Ah. Gawd, Ah'm so screwed up. How the hell am Ah gonna get through this alone?"

"But you're not alone. I'm here for you, Roguey. I'll always be here for you." Pietro gave Rogue a small smile that she slowly returned. He gazed at her for another second before giving her a soft kiss on the lips. He pulled away from her lips and studied her face. Rogue's eyes flickered up at his before she leaned in for another kiss.

"Thank-you," she murmured as they pulled away.

The voices had been right. This was the beginning of a whole new chapter in her life.

**A/N: It took me three days to write this, I wanted to display it just right…and I still think it's pretty chaotic…but I've kept you waiting. School is back in session and I have so much homework already it isn't funny. So please, please be patient with me. This chapter is the longest one so far. I hope it's alright. **

**BTW: Two more chapters until Gambit arrives. I figured y'all deserved that little tidbit, don't you?**


	32. Pure Resolve

**Disclaimer: Obviously I don't own this stuff.**

**31-Pure Resolve**

Rogue felt a soft breeze blow across her cheek, waking her out of a light slumber. Her eyes fluttered open to gaze out at the quiet street. She had been lounging in the porch swing at the boarding house for the afternoon. Around her Rogue could hear birds chirping in the trees, signaling warmer weather on the rise. Rogue took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

After yesterday's events Rogue felt whole again. Her head was ache free, and the voices had seemed to vanish. But, all was not well. Today Rogue's mind was busy rethinking her life. Or at least the part that dealt with relationships.

She had kissed Pietro. Twice. Rogue had cheated on Warren—something she had never intended considering the fiasco with Lance. But that's what had happened, and now Rogue was trying to sort out her feelings for Warren and Pietro.

Sure she never saw Warren anymore, only talking to him on the phone every once in a while, but that wasn't important, was it? Warren was a nice guy; very caring; concerned over her well-being and always on her side. Pietro on the other hand was a part of her everyday life, and she was working with him now. He also cared about her, and tried to protect her from others, but he was always a real charmer. And that could lead to problems…just like the distance factor with Warren.

Rogue sighed in frustration. Why didn't anyone take her status as The Untouchable serious? Did she have a sign on her forehead asking for trouble? Whatever it was Rogue wanted it to stop. She was tired of dealing with love.

And going along with that line of thought, Rogue was also tired of family. Her mother was a terrorist; a bitch; and a betrayer. Mystique had handed Rogue over to Magneto on more than one occasion now—and she still wouldn't say who Rogue's father was. And Rogue hadn't been able to gleam that little piece of information from Mystique yesterday.

Then there was Kurt. Her brother. The brother she had never asked for and the one who had ultimately replaced her. Mystique wanted a real relationship with Kurt. He was part of the reason Rogue had been abandoned to fend for herself. And that wouldn't be a good icebreaker when it came time for some sort of family reunion. No, Rogue wasn't sure if she would ever want anything to do with Kurt. He was mad at her. She had seen it in his eyes after she had tried to kill Mystique. Kurt genuinely cared for their mother; Rogue did not.

Rogue had a dark feeling that it would be a long time before she decided to get to know the furry blue mutant. She had other things to worry about. Like getting Magneto his acolytes before he got out of prison. Then she would deal with finding out who her father was. And then she would kill Mystique. It was as simple as that.

The rumble of Lance's jeep stirred Rogue out of her reverie. She looked up in time to see Lance pull up in the driveway. Tabitha was the first one out and over to Rogue.

"You missed a fun-filled day at school," remarked the blonde plopping herself down beside Rogue.

"Ah'm sure Ah did."

Tabitha rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, don't rub it in that you got to ditch while the rest of us decided to put up an appearancefor the X-Geeks. Didja know that they were asking about you? Little Miss Four-Point-Oh practically had a heart attack when you didn't show up. I think she wants to talk to you or something. She's gone a little zany since yesterday."

Rogue chuckled. "Like it was hard to push her over the edge? Damn girl is too serious. Maybe now she won't beso stuck-up."

"Just stressed, but that's no biggie. Anyway, Scott wanted me to pass on a message. Warren's coming down later today. He's been worried about you. I guess he had Scott give him the low down on your freak out. So now he's coming to town…" Tabitha's voice trailed off as Pietro passed by with a dark look on his face. Glancing over at Rogue the blonde could see the southerner biting her lower lip, seemingly lost in thought.

"What am Ah gonna do?" murmured Rogue to herself.

Tabitha sighed. "Whatever it is, someone's gonna get hurt, Rogue."

"Ah really need ta join a convent. Ah'd be ten times safer there than anywhere else."

"Yeah, but just think about all those cute guys you'd be missing out on," teased Tabitha. Rogue snorted. "Are you gonna tell him?"

Rogue looked up quizzically. "Tell who what?"

"Tell Warren that you and Speedy smooched."

"Aw man." Rogue gave an audible groan and slumped in the swing. Things weren't looking up for her anymore.

"And," continued Tabitha changing topics, "There's a new kid at school. Some good looking Russian giant by the name of Piotr Rasputin. Turns out he's an artist—I would've thought he had come for the football team, but apparently he's not much of a sportsman. But god is he hot. You shoulda seen the look on the Kitty-Cat's face when he walked in. Priceless. And would you believe he's living with Dr. McCoy? Imagine being a foreign exchange student and having to stay with your chemistry teacher."

Rogue glanced up with a thoughtful look on her face. "Really? A foreign exchange student ahn an artist all in one? Interestin'."

"No, not interesting, hot. But that's just me. You have your own problems to deal with. And problem number one just pulled up." Tabitha pointed towards the street where Warren had parked. Rogue felt her heart break upon seeing him. He looked so worried and concerned about her…Rogue wasn't sure she could handle it.

Tabitha gave Rogue a small smile before disappearing into the house. Rogue took a deep breath as Warren made his way up the steps. She had to come clean to him, she had to fix this mess, and she had to end it.

"Rogue, thank god…I've been so worried about you. When Pietro called yesterday he made it seem you'd gone off the deep end. I wanted to rush down here last night, but I couldn't get away. Scott kind of filled me in last night. How are you?" Warren sat beside Rogue on the porch swing and took a gloved hand in his.

"Ah'm…alright. Ah kinda lost it yesterday…but Ah'm alright. Ah didn't mean ta make ya worry," replied Rogue softly.

"Hey, it's okay, Rogue. I'm just glad you're okay. I should have been here for you. I wish I didn't have to spend so much time in the city. People are going to start thinking I'm a horrible boyfriend now. I'm sorry, Rogue. I let you down."

"Ah'm the one who should be sayin' sorry," murmured Rogue dropping her gaze to the ground. "You're a wonderful guy, Warren, ahn Ah don't deserve you."

Warren frowned. "What are you saying?"

"Ah made a mistake…ahn Ah wish Ah could say it was a big mistake, but Ah cahn't. Warren, Ah…Ah kissed Pietro yesterday." Rogue swallowed the lump in her throat and snuck a quick glance at Warren. The older teen stared at her, stunned.

"You…you what?"

"Ah'm really sorry, it just happened…ahn…Ah don't even know what to say."

"How about you'll never do it again," suggested Warren as the information seeped into his brain.

Rogue hung her head and spoke in a whisper. "Ah'm not sure Ah cahn promise that."

"Are you trying to tell me that you have feelings for Pietro?" demanded Warren.

"Yes. No. Ah don't know. Everything's hazy right now. Ah don't know what Ah feel for anyone anymore. Ah'm so sorry, Warren. Ah never meant ta hurt you."

Warren took a deep breath. "Rogue, I'm sure it was just an in the moment kind of thing. We'll get through this. I can't lose you."

Rogue sniffed back some tears as she finally looked up at Warren. "That's the thing, Warren. Ah don't think it was just in the moment. Ah…Ah've been thinkin' since yesterday…ahn Ah think Ah need to reconsider things."

"Reconsider things? Like us?"

"Yeah, like us."

"You're breaking up with me?" asked Warren quietly.

Rogue nodded solemnly. "Ah think it's the best thing ta do right now. Ah need ta think, Warren. Everything's happenin' so fast…Ah don't wanna make any more mistakes. Ah'm sorry. Ah really care for you…but Ah don't wanna hurt you any more. Do you understand?"

"No. No, I don't understand. I think you're scared. So you kissed another guy…Rogue, I know I'm not the ideal boyfriend because I'm never here, but I think you need to give me another chance," said Warren.

"Ah don't know, Warren. Ah think Ah should figure out what's goin' ohn with Speedy ahn meh before Ah cahn make that decision. We cahn still be—"

Warren brushed Rogue's hand away from his shoulder and stood up. "I've gotta go, Rogue. I…I've got some thinking to do as well." Without another word he stormed off the front porch and back to his car. Rogue sighed wearily as she watched him drive away, before letting the tears come freely.

The front door opened and Pietro stepped outside. Rogue quickly brushed away her tears as the speedster took the empty spot beside her. "I heard," he said softly.

"Ah don't wanna talk about it right now," murmured Rogue.

"You don't have to," replied Pietro pulling Rogue into his arms. "We can always talk later."

Rogue nodded silently as she began to cry in Pietro's arms. She cried for Warren, she cried for Kurt, she cried for Mystique, but most of all Rogue cried for herself.

**The Next Day:**

"That's him," hissed Tabitha pointing. Rogue glanced away from her locker and over at the student Tabitha was indicating. He was a tall, broad shouldered teen with short dark hair and brown eyes.

"He's…big," remarked Rogue turning back to her locker.

Tabitha snorted. "Just because you're leaning towards Pietro doesn't mean you can't appreciate a good looking guy when you see one."

"Well then," teased Rogue, "if Ah see one Ah'll let ya know."

"Ha ha," deadpanned Tabitha sticking her tongue out at her friend. Rogue made a face and the two girls dissolved into giggles.

"Glad to see we're in a better mood today," murmured Lance joining the girls.

"Does everyone know?" demanded Rogue.

"That you dumped wing boy for Pietro, yeah, everyone knows," replied Lance seriously. Rogue narrowed her eyes at the dark haired teen. "What, it's true isn't it?"

Rogue rolled her eyes. "Where's Kitty?" she asked. "Ah didn't know she let ya wander ohn ya own. Is she sick?"

Lance cursed under his breath. "Damn girl is driving me up the wall. 'Lance, like do this…Lance, like don't do that.' Man, when did I ever stoop as low as to follow a girl's orders? Except yours, Roguey," he amended quickly upon seeing the look on Rogue's face.

Tabitha sighed dramatically. "Ah, young love. I can't wait for the wedding. It's gonna be a regular ol' showdown…I'm so bringing the alcohol."

"There ain't gonna be any wedding," snapped Lance through gritted teeth.

"Better tell the Kitty-Cat that then…last I checked she was ordering the bridesmaids gowns." Tabitha stalked off humming the wedding march aloud, gaining another dark look from Lance.

"Good luck," whispered Rogue as she shut her locker. Lance watched helplessly as Rogue walked away just as Kitty came to stand in front of him with her arms crossed.

"Lance, we like totally need to talk," she started coldly.

"About?"

"Why do you insist on hanging around Tabitha? She's like nothing but trouble…and it's so like not cool that you're letting Rogue stay over at the boarding house—especially with all the history you guys have!"

Lance took a deep breath. "First of all, in case you haven't noticed, Rogue and I are over. For good. She's after Maximoff now. And second of all, Tabitha is a friend. Just a friend. Dammit, Kitty, if you can't get that through your head then I don't think we're gonna work out. And if you keep nagging me I'm gonna dump your skinny little ass, got it?"

Kitty's mouth dropped open in horror as Lance stalked away shaking his head. Then she burst into tears. That wasn't how the conversation was supposed to go.

Meanwhile, Rogue was taking her time heading towards homeroom. As she neared the classroom, though, she bumped into Kurt. The two teens locked eyes as they halted their steps. Neither one said a word, but both could feel the tension in the air. Rogue shook her head with a dark look on her face before pushing her way past Kurt.

Amanda furrowed her eyebrows as she tried to figure out what had just happened. But judging by the look on his face, she knew it wouldn't be a good idea to ask him about it. Instead, Amanda spied Kitty retreating into the girl's bathroom. Amanda gave Kurt a quick peck on the lips before dashing in after Kitty. She stopped short upon seeing Kitty wiping away smeared mascara with a tissue.

"Oh…are you alright?" asked Amanda cautiously.

Kitty glanced up and gave Amanda a small smile. "I'll be fine. I'm like totally rethinking the whole Lance deal though. What about you?"

"Oh, well, I was just gonna ask you if you knew what the deal was with Kurt and Rogue. I swear you could see bombs going off when they bumped into each other."

"Oh that." Kitty sighed as she leaned back against the countertop. "You wouldn't believe what happened yesterday."

"I got the shortened version from Kurt on the phone. Something about Rogue having a total meltdown and lashing out at you guys."

"Please, like that's not even close to the truth. See, Rogue and Kurt are related. They like share the same mom, and yesterday Rogue was like trying to kill their mom. She's been through a lot. Their mom chose Kurt over Rogue…and Rogue is so not letting it go that easily."

Amanda's eyes widened in surprise. "Omigod! I can't believe that...but…I thought Kurt's mom was the enemy."

"She is. But you know Kurt; family is like everything to him. Of course, when one family member like totally tries to kill the other, than obviously he's going to side with the woman who gave birth to him. He feels that she's changed. Rogue doesn't think that. And me, Itotally have to agree with Rogue. Mystique isn't going to change just like that. She's up to something."

"Kurt has a sister," murmured Amanda softly. "She's tough too. He needs to forgive and forget. He doesn't need Mystique if he has Rogue."

Kitty snorted. "Like try telling the Rogue that. She can be just as stubborn as him."

"Details, details." Amanda waved off the comment just as the first bell rang. Both girls groaned as they made a mad dash towards homeroom. Kitty slipped into her seat beside Amara just as the late bell rang out.

Behind Kitty and Amara sat St. John. The Aussie teen was in a sulky mood after having been reprimanded that morning for playing with his lighter during breakfast. And to make matters even worse, Logan had actually taken the lighter away from him. Now St. John felt incomplete.

He blew out a deep sigh and glanced at the two girls sitting in front of him. His eyes settled on Amara before lighting up in delight. "Hey, Shelia," he whispered.

Amara turned around with the air of a princess. An ice princess. "What?"

"I was thinkin' that maybe you and I could have lunch together. Light a little fire—"

"You actually think I'd consider having lunch with you? You've _got _to be joking." With that Amara turned back around and whispered conspiratorially with Kitty. The two girls glanced back at St. John who was glowering at them and then they burst into giggles. St. John practically ground his teeth.

Beside him Pietro shook his head before speaking. "I don't know why you even bothered. Everyone knows the girls at the mansion are stuck up."

"Rogue isn't," replied St. John cheekily.

"But Rogue doesn't always stay at the mansion, does she?" Pietro smirked and pulled a lighter out of his pants pocket to hand to St. John.

"Oh, thanks, mate," murmured St. John with a wide grin on his face. Pietro rolled his eyes at the evil glint in the Aussie's eyes. The pyromaniac was definitely a little out there.

Pietro nodded slowly. "Just remember who you can trust at the end of the day. It's a two sided world, buddy. It's either us," he pointed at himself, "or them," he finished indicating Kitty and Amara in front of them. "All you gotta do is pick the right side."

St. John gazed at Amara with a faraway look in his eyes. The bell rang indicating the end of homeroom, shaking St. John back to normal. The Aussie took one glance over at Bobby getting ready to leave and then at Pietro who was already headed towards the door.

"Hey, Slick," called out St. John hurrying after Pietro, "you boys picky about who you hang out with?"

On the other side of campus Rogue was making her way towards chemistry. Truthfully she was itching for a cigarette. The clear skies outdoors were clearly calling her name, and it wasn't as though she really liked chemistry. Of course, she probably should attend to try and get to know the new kid, Piotr.

Rogue paused and kept shooting furtive glances between her chemistry classroom and the side door leading outside when she felt a tentative hand on her shoulder. Rogue turned around and found herself face to face with Kurt's girlfriend.

Amanda cleared her throat nervously and shuffled her feet. "Um…I know this is gonna sound totally weird, and completely out of nowhere, but uh, I think we should try and get to know each other. For Kurt's sake."

Rogue bit back her initial reaction and chose a calmer route. "Ah don't think Kurt ahn Ah are gonna be gettin' ta know each other any time soon. It'd be kinda pointless for meh ahn you ta become friends, don't ya think?"

"No," replied Amanda shaking her head. "Kurt's confused right now, sure. But soon he's gonna shake himself out of this funk and want to bond with you. Rogue, you and Kurt share the same blood. Whether or not you guys want to admit it, you've really only got each other. I know about your mom…and I have to say that personally, I don't like the idea of Kurt trying to protect her and defend her from you. She's not a good person. I don't want Kurt to look up to her…I'd rather he looked up to you instead."

"Look, Amanda, you don't even know meh. You sure as hell don't know the first thing about meh. Ah'm not a role model—especially not for Kurt. Right now Ah really don't want anything ta do with him. Our mother loves Kurt, not meh. She abandoned meh ahn don't think Ah'll ever be able to forgive that."

"But it's not Kurt's fault," insisted Amanda.

Rogue sighed. "Even so, the harm has already been done. Ah just want some peace ahn quiet. Ah don't need to try ahn make things work with a brother Ah never had…a brother Ah never wanted."

Amanda grabbed Rogue by the arm, preventing the southern bell from walking away. "Rogue, I've heard a little about your past from Kurt and Kitty. They say your adopted parents were going to sell you out too…just like your mother did. And they also say that you were about to become a big sister. You can't possibly tell me that you didn't want a younger sibling once upon a time…and that you would have ignored them for being born. And you can't tell me that you wouldn't do everything in your power to save your brother or sister from parents like the ones you've had. Rogue, I'm begging you, help me help Kurt. I love him, but I can't save him. Only you can do that. You're his sister. Me, I'm just the girlfriend. He'd never listen to me about something this big. Please, you have to make him understand that the mother he wants is not the mother he has."

"Ah don't know…" Rogue wasn't able to finish her sentence as Kurt showed up shooting her a dagger eyed look.

"What's goin' on?" he demanded.

"Nothing," said Amanda. "Rogue and I were just talking."

Kurt rounded on Amanda, taking his anger out on her. "Didn't I tell you what she did yesterday?" he hissed. "You can't go behind my back and talk to the enemy."

Amanda felt her eyes begin to tear as the late bell for first period rang. "You didn't tell me the whole truth, Kurt. Kitty filled me in on the rest. You're being a total jerk over the whole thing. Rogue's your sister—she's had it rough the last couple months and you're not being considerate at all. What's the big deal?"

"What's the big deal?" repeated Kurt. "I'll tell you what's the big deal. My supposed sister tried to kill our mother yesterday and now my girlfriend is trying to protect her."

"Kurt—"

"No, Amanda. I thought you loved me. I can't trust you if you're going to be talking to _her_. And right now I don't think we should be together. Not until you get your priorities straight."

Amanda's mouth quivered in shock before she turned heel and ran to her first period class. Rogue stood her ground, turning over what Amanda had just told her and what had just happened. Instead of going to class she turned to Kurt.

"What's your problem? Cahn't ya see she's just tryin' ta help? She loves you, ahn she wants to help you out. Ah cahn't believe you just dumped her. Of all the geeks to be the most inconsiderate assholes in the mansion, you were far from the top of the list. But thanks for provin' meh wrong. It's nice ta know Ah'm not the only screw up in the family."

"We aren't family!" snapped Kurt.

Rogue didn't even blink as she launched a fist into Kurt's face, knocking the younger teen to the ground. She glanced down at him with an intenselook. "Just because you ahn Ah don't wanna be related doesn't change the fact that we are. It's a good thing you dumped Amanda, Kurt. Ah'd hate to see your face when you realized she's too good for you. Because you, you are nothing more than a child. Grow up; this is the real world, not some goddamn story book." Rogue shook her head in regret and headed towards chemistry leaving Kurt lying on the ground. She was determined to move on with life one way or another.

**A/N—I hope to get another chapter up this weekend, but it is the super bowl, so we'll see if I can get it down before then. Anyway, I do have a forum up in case you guys would like to give me some input about this story and maybe voice what you did like so far, or what you haven't. It would be a big help so I can improve this story from now on. Oh, and yeah, one more chapter before you know who arrives. Enjoy!**


	33. Animalistics

**Disclaimer: Still not mine.**

**32-Animalistics**

"Excuse me, but are you paying any attention today?"

Rogue looked up in surprise to see the kind face of Dr. McCoy looking down at her. She offered him a small smile and slumped in her seat as he walked away, resuming his lecture on unstable molecules.

No, Rogue wasn't paying attention. She was still reliving the incident from only an hour earlier. She had punched Kurt. And what bothered her was the fact that she was starting to feel guilty about it. Sure he had deserved it, but that was only because the kid was confused when it came to Mystique. Kurt no longer saw the shape shifter as just a mutant terrorist, he saw her as a mother as well.

Rogue sighed as she propped her chin in her hands. Life could never be simple.

Lance studied Rogue with a frown on his face. "What's wrong?" he finally asked.

"What isn't wrong?" returned Rogue ruefully.

"That bad, huh? You know what you need? A vacation."

"Gawd, wouldn't that be nice." Rogue chuckled at the thought. "But Ah think people would notice if Ah decided ta just take off."

Lance shrugged. "You can't blame them for being so damn nosy, can you? Not after the other day."

Rogue grimaced. Her little freak out had gained her more unwanted attention from the X-Men. "So what did Ah miss in Dr. McCoy's lecture?"

"Something about molecules. Don't see the big deal about it though. It's not like anyone's listening today. Rumor has it there's a beast prowling around Bayville at night. A big, hairy, monster type of beast."

"You're kiddin' right? Are we talkin' like a mutant or some kinda sick joke?" asked Rogue focusing all her attention on Lance.

"Just tellin' you what I've been hearing this week. No one knows, Roguey. Bayville's full of chickens—no one in their right mind is gonna try to get up close and personal with the thing."

"Is it dangerous?"

"What did I just get through telling you? No one knows," repeated Lance darkly.

Rogue's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Don't bite mah head off 'cause you ahn Kitty are startin' ta have problems."

Lance groaned. "Man, what am I gonna do, Roguey? I like Kitty, I really do…but she thinks things would be better if I were on…you know, her side."

"Ah don't know what ta tell ya, Lance. Ah'm not exactly the best one ta go to for advice 'bout somethin' like this. It all depends ohn whether or not ya think you're ohn the right side or not."

"That's the thing, Roguey. When will any of us ever know whether or not we're on the right side?"

Before Rogue could come up with a reply the lunch bell rang. Rogue took a deep breath and waited until everyone was well on their way out of class before following. She still hated being around so many people. Rogue was worried she could lose control again.

The cafeteria was busy as usual by the time Rogue entered it. She made her way over to the table where Tabitha, Pietro, and St. John were already sitting.

"Hey, Rogue," greeted Tabitha with a wide grin. "Heard you knocked Kurt back into his place."

Rogue gave Tabitha a quizzical look as she sat beside Pietro. "What are ya talkin' about?"

Tabitha rolled her eyes and pointed across the cafeteria. Rogue looked and frowned. Kurt was sitting by himself at a table in the far corner of the cafeteria staring down at the plastic surface moodily. She was half ready to get out of her seat when she noticed Amanda making her way over to Kurt.

"Can I sit here?" asked Amanda indicating the spot across from Kurt.

Kurt glanced up with a mixture of fear and surprise in his eyes. "Amanda?"

"What happened to your eye?" Amanda reached across to gently finger the yellow bruise.

"Rogue," he murmured softly.

"She's not that bad."

"I know…I know."

"Then what's the problem? I thought you always wanted to find your real family…and now that you have…I guess I just don't understand." Amanda leaned her elbows on the table as Kurt took a deep breath.

"When I imagined finding my real family I imagined tears and hugs…Rogue's not like that. I don't think she can ever be like that, you know? And I guess I was jealous. She got to spend time with our mother…I know it wasn't under the right circumstances, but she still got to live with her and talk with her. I want that chance too."

Amanda sighed. "Kurt, your mom is never going to win the award for mother of the year."

"I know…I just think that there's good in everybody, you know? Every time I go to church with you and your parents they always preach about good and evil. Everyone can be good. I know…my mother has to have good in her somewhere. Just like Rogue does."

"You think Rogue has evil in her too?"

Kurt gave a sheepish smile. "She definitely has a temper, no? I think Rogue is just angry…and I don't know how to deal with her. I was worried after Liberty Island…but she didn't try to open up."

"Would you be willing to trust if you had gone through the things Rogue did? Kurt, I think Rogue has a long way to go before she can be at peace with herself. But, until then don't you think you should try to get to know her? As a friend and then one day as a brother? I know you're a good person, Kurt Wagner, and I also know that if anyone can get through to Rogue it will be you. Maybe not now, maybe not tomorrow, but one day you will. Besides, you know the saying. Blood is thicker than water."

Kurt gazed over at Amanda with a thoughtful look. "Rogue was right. You are too good for me," he murmured mournfully.

Amanda giggled with tears in her eyes. "I don't think so. I love you, Kurt, even if you do act silly at times."

"I didn't mean to hurt you earlier, Amanda. I love you. I just…I'm frustrated because I know everyone's siding with Rogue when it comes to my mother. And when you were talking with Rogue I guess I flipped out. I wish I could take it all back."

"Kurt, it never happened. I knew you didn't mean it…it still hurt, but I knew you needed to let it all out. Keeping your anger bottled up is the worst thing you could ever do." Amanda took Kurt's hands in her own and offered him a dazzling smile. "Besides, you're not getting out of dinner with my parents that easily."

"That's tonight?" Kurt groaned aloud. "I think I'll take my chances with Rogue instead."

"Very funny. I've been looking forward to this dinner for weeks. Tonight we're going to tell my parents everything."

Kurt looked up at Amanda and nodded slowly. "Okay. So we're good then? You and I?"

"We always were," whispered Amanda. Kurt brightened up and brought one of Amanda's knuckles up to his lips.

"You really are an angel, liebchen," he whispered back.

From a distance Rogue breathed in relief. It looked like Kurt had worked things out with Amanda, which meant she wouldn't have to deal with him for a while longer. Rogue turned back to her friends who were joking around.

"Why the glum face, yo?" demanded Toad noticing Rogue's faraway look.

"It's been a long day so far," replied Rogue. "Ah could use a nap right about now."

Freddy clapped Rogue on the back gently. "Don't worry; if you pass out in drama I'll carry you home."

"Thanks, sugah. You're a real sweetheart," said Rogue with a wry smile.

The rest of the day passed by relatively slowly. Rogue seemed to be lost in her own thoughts much of that time. She barely comprehended the fact that Pietro had gotten himself after school detention for knocking over a bunch of vials during his chemistry class with Dr. McCoy. Apparently the science teacher and football coach had been very distraught over the entire incident.

"You gonna walk me to detention?" asked Pietro as Rogue stuffed her textbooks back into her locker.

Rogue glanced over at Pietro who was giving her a pleading look. She knew he was trying to spend some time alone with her, especially since she and Warren had finally split. And Rogue also knew she really should spend some time with him if only to finally sort out her feelings for him.

"Ah guess Ah cahn spare the time."

"Oh right, like you have somewhere important to be," replied Pietro with a snort. Rogue shrugged with a teasing grin on her lips. Pietro shook his head and slipped an arm around her shoulders as they headed towards the chemistry classroom. Along the way they came across Kurt and Amanda.

Kurt stopped short. "Rogue…can we talk for a second?"

Rogue made a face but nodded silently. She followed Kurt a few feet away so they wouldn't be overheard. Pietro and Amanda stood as far away from each other as possible, but both kept their eyes on Rogue and Kurt.

"I want…I want to apologize for the way I've been acting," started Kurt shuffling his feet nervously. Rogue stifled a groan. She had a pretty good idea where this was going. "And I think that…um, well…I think we should start over, you know? We _are _family."

"Kurt, Ah appreciate the thought ahn all, but Ah don't want anything ta do with ya." Rogue hurried on upon seeing the look on Kurt's face. "At least not right now. Ah'm not ready, ahn Ah don't know when Ah will be. You're a great guy, Kurt, but Ah'm never gonna be the person ya want meh ta be."

"Rogue, I just want you to be my sister…because that's who you are. I know Mystique screwed up…but I also think she's changed. We should at least try to get to know one another…try to forge a family."

Rogue sighed with a tinge of regret. "Kurt, Ah don't really believe in families. Ah've never had a real one. Ah was abandoned, and then adopted, then abandoned, adopted again, ahn now Ah'm tryin' ta take control of mah life. Ahn the thing is, Ah'm not always gonna be in control. You saw what happened the other day. Ah'm not stable…Ah'm not trustworthy. Ah need time."

"How much time?" asked Kurt with a softer tone of voice. He knew he was asking a lot of Rogue to just forgive and forget the way he had been acting…and the fact that Mystique had chosen him over Rogue, but he had hoped for something more than a brush off.

Rogue opened her mouth to answer when the sound of breaking glass came from the chemistry lab. Kurt and Rogue quickly set off towards the lab with Pietro and Amanda, stopping in the doorway to see what the commotion had been. What they saw nearly took their breaths away.

Dr. McCoy was shaking as he clutched a countertop to stay on his feet. A low, guttural sound was coming from his throat as he hunched over the counter. There was a ripping sound as his shirt tore across his back to reveal blue fur. The four teens watched in horror as their science teacher transformed into the Beast of Bayville.

Kurt gulped and was the first to break the tense silence. "That doesn't look good."

Rogue turned around and grabbed Kurt by the collar of his shirt. Her green eyes had a wild look in them. "Kurt, ya need ta take Amanda ahn teleport to the mansion. Get the professor ahn Logan—gawd, get anyone ta help out Dr. McCoy."

"What about you?" shot back the German teen.

"Speedy ahn Ah will try ahn keep him outta trouble." Rogue growled as Kurt started to shake his head. "Dammit, Kurt, this is no time to grow a backbone! Ya need ta protect Amanda ahn get help! Ah cahn take care of mahself. Besides, Ah won't be alone. Ah've got Speedy—ahn together we'll round up the rest of the Brotherhood, got it?"

"G-got it," replied Kurt as Rogue let him go. He grabbed Amanda's hand and quickly teleported out of danger.

"Alright, Roguey, now it's just you and me and…oh boy." Pietro quickly turned away from the doorway and began running down the hall, pulling Rogue along with him by the hand. "You sure you want to distract Big Blue?" he hissed as the Beast came after them.

Rogue's eyes widened as she glanced back at the foaming mouth of the Beast. "Okay, not one of mah brightest ideas, but really, it's not like we had a choice. Ah just hope Lance ahn them haven't left yet."

Luck was on their side as the two skidded out the front doors of the school. Lance was still in the parking lot with Tabitha, Fred, and Toad. "What the hell is going on?" demanded Lance sourly. He jumped in surprise as the Beast burst out the front doors. "Never mind."

Lance quickly hopped in his jeep with Tabitha right behind him, Fred and Toad scrambled in as well. Pietro sighed and scooped Rogue in his arms as Lance fired up the jeep. Soon the jeep was speeding away from the school with Pietro keeping up with it, and the Beast not far behind.

They were nearing the amphitheatre when Lance's jeep began to sputter. Pietro slowed his pace just as the jeep died.

"What the hell is this?" screeched Tabitha standing up to peer over the dash at the hood of the jeep.

"Man, I should have gotten gas yesterday," grumbled Lance hopping out of the jeep.

"Gas? _Gas_?" Tabitha scrambled out of the jeep with Toad and Fred right behind her. Pietro groaned and let Rogue back onto her feet.

Rogue rubbed her temples as she tried to come up with a plan. "Okay, we cahn work with this. Hopefully Blue will get help in time."

"In time for what?" questioned Fred scratching his head.

"Our deaths!" moaned Toad pointing behind them. The teens turned in time to see the Beast jump onto the jeep.

"Hey! Don't scratch up my ride!" cried out Lance angrily. The Beast let out a roar and looked ready to leap towards Lance.

"Yeah, I don't think that was the right thing to say to him," muttered Tabitha. Lance shrugged with a concerned look on his face as the Beast jumped to the ground.

"Yo, d'ya think he knows we were the ones who egged his house last year?" asked Toad curiously.

"If not, he knows now," replied Pietro. The Beast swiveled his head to glare at the white haired teen. Pietro gulped nervously and took a step backwards as the Beast began to advance towards him. Tabitha made a face and formed two fire balls to toss at the feet of the Beast. There was a mild explosion, giving Pietro enough time to head towards the amphitheatre after his comrades.

"Ah think he remembers that you're the one who broke his vials in chemistry. Ah'm startin' ta think that those vials were pretty damn important," pointed out Rogue. The Beast jumped up onto the stage, startling the teens. Lance and Tabitha tried to flatten themselves against the wall as Fred and Toad cowered in the orchestra box. Pietro quickly pushed Rogue out of the way as the Beast leapt, feet first into Pietro, knocking the teen out cold.

Rogue scrambled off the stage and onto the grass hoping to make a run for it when the Beast jumped in front of her, blocking her exit. Rogue bit her lip and tried to keep calm as she stared into the Beast's eyes. There was a flash of recognition, but just as suddenly it was gone again.

Lance jumped down to the grass and put a fist into the ground, making it shake just as Rogue felt someone grab her in a protective embrace before they fell to the ground. She clutched her rescuer tightly, keeping her eyes shut as her ears finally picked up the noise of an on going hand to hand battle.

Opening her eyes slowly Rogue frowned in alarm at the strange face gazing down at her calmly with red eyes. "Hello, chère," he said in a clear Cajun accent.

"Get off." Rogue quickly shoved the man off her and got back to her feet with a rush of anger. The man was tall with a slender build, wearing form fitting black pants, shirt, fingerless gloves, and headdress, knee high silver-gray boots, and a long brown trench coat.

"What, no t'ank-you?" he teased. Rogue simply glared at him before glancing over to where the Beast was busy fighting with Sabertooth. Glancing back at the man who had rescued her, Rogue had a sinking feeling he was the acolyte from New Orleans.

"Yo, Rogue, I think it's time to bounce!" called out Toad. Rogue looked to where he was pointing and breathed in relief upon seeing the X-Men pull to a halt in their black SUV.

"Where's Pietro?" replied Rogue as Toad bounced over to her and the stranger.

"Freddy's gettin' him. Now c'mon before the Beast decides to save us for dessert." Toad tugged on Rogue's coat sleeve, pulling her in the direction that the rest of the Brotherhood was headed. Rogue followed with the stranger and Sabertooth hot on her heels. They would have to walk back to the boarding house now that Lance's jeep was out of commission.

Rogue slowed her pace to match Sabertooth's. "When did ya get back?" she demanded in a quiet tone of voice.

"'Bout an hour ago. We were on the way to the school to grab ya when I sniffed out your scent comin' from the amphitheatre." Sabertooth shot Rogue a sideways glance as they walked. "How are you holding up? Pietro mentioned you had a little incident the other day."

Rogue felt herself stiffen at the memory. "Ah'm fine. Ya took your sweet time gettin' back here, sugah. Have a little problem in the Big Easy?"

Sabertooth snorted. "Goddamn asshole is full of himself, that's for sure."

"Does this asshole have a name? Or is he plannin' ohn goin' by the codename of asshole?" replied Rogue smoothly. She glanced over at the man walking on her other side and narrowed her eyes as he stared back with his red irises.

"The name, chère, is Remy LeBeau. I also go by da name of Gambit."

"Charming." Rogue turned back to Sabertooth. "Are ya sure ya got the right guy? This one don't seem like Acolyte material ta meh."

"I followed your orders and listened to Pale-face, and he was pretty damn sure this kid was the one we wanted."

Rogue frowned. She wasn't sure what Magneto would say when he found out that his Acolytes were barely older than herself.

Remy on the other hand chose to speak up, voicing a concern that had been bothering him since his arrival in Bayville. "I t'ink it's time someone cleared somet'in up for me. Who's in charge here?"

"Officially?" grumbled Sabertooth. "Magneto's in jail for the time being. Rogue's callin' the shots when it comes to the Brotherhood now that Mystique is playin' hooky."

"She's only playin' hooky 'cause she knows Ah'm out ta get her," growled Rogue darkly.

"Den da fille is in charge?" asked Remy with a tinge of disbelief. "Ya want me to follow de orders of _her_?"

Rogue's eyes flashed dangerously as she stopped mid-stride. Sabertooth and Remy stopped with her. "Ya got a problem with that, Swamp Rat?"

"I don' like followin' orders from someone who ain't capable of handin' dem out," shot back Remy. Rogue balled her hand into a fist and would have punched the Cajun had Sabertooth not quickly intervened by stepping in between them.

"Now ain't the time," stated the older mutant gruffly. He looked at Rogue. "You've got yourself a mission, girl. So you better complete it before the boss gets out." Then he looked at Gambit. "And you aren't gonna be following her orders. You're gonna be following mine until Magneto gets out of jail. Got it?"

"Got it," muttered Gambit evenly. Rogue kept quiet as she pushed past the two men to catch up with her friends. When the group arrived at the boarding house they were silent and worn out.

Fred dropped Pietro in the porch swing, as the rest of the teens collapsed on the porch steps. Rogue studied them for a minute and gave a small sigh of regret. She walked up the steps and over to Pietro.

"You alright?" she murmured.

Pietro smiled weakly. "I'll be fine. How 'bout you?"

Rogue shrugged as she sat beside him. "Whiskers did his part of the job," she whispered. Pietro nodded absently. Rogue took a deep breath. "Ah'm gonna go back to the X-Men for a while. It's the only way Ah cahn get St. John ahn Piotr ohn our side."

"St. John's practically in the bag. 'Sides, isn't Piotr staying with Dr. McCoy?" returned Pietro with a frown.

"Ah'm gonna take a wild guess ahn assume he'll move in with the X-Men afta the doc does. We need them, Speedy. Ah ain't gonna get ta kill Mystique 'til Ah keep mah end of the bargain. Ah'll be fine."

"I don't like it when you're with the geek squad, Rogue."

Rogue smiled as she leaned over to give Pietro a soft kiss on the lips. "Save meh a spot for lunch." She winked and got up to head down the porch steps.

"Hey, where ya headed?" called out Tabitha as Rogue headed towards the sidewalk.

"Back ta the mansion for a while. I ain't gonna make mahself sick stayin' in the same place as a Swamp Rat. Ah'll see y'all later." Rogue gave them a lazy wave as she headed in the direction of the mansion. She quickly pulled out a cigarette and lit it up. She breathed gratefully as she felt the tension and stress from earlier leave her body.

By the time she made it back to the mansion it was dark. Rogue had made a few much needed pit stops to replenish her cigarettes and eat a quick meal. It wasn't like she was particularly looking forward to joining up with the X-Men again.

Rogue made her way through the mansion gates and up the driveway. The mansion was flooded with lights. Sitting outside the front door was Logan smoking a cigar.

"I was wonderin' when you'd be back," he said nonchalantly.

Rogue shrugged. "Whiskers is back. He ain't the best house mate…clogs up the drains with all his hair."

"Funny. How ya feeling?"

"If you talkin' 'bout the whole Mystique ahn Kurt deal forget it. Ah ain't in the mood."

"It was just a general question, kid."

"Sure it was. Cahn Ah go now? Did Ah pass the inspection?"

Logan jerked his hand at the doorway, indicating that Rogue was free to go. As she placed her hand on the doorknob Logan spoke up, freezing her in her tracks. "Kurt went over for dinner with Amanda and her parents. Turned into a real mess. Kurt's image inducer went haywire…and Amanda's parents freaked out. She's not allowed to see him anymore. Kurt locked himself in his room."

"What d'ya want meh ta do about it?"

"Nothin'. Just thought you'd like to know."

Rogue lapsed into silence and pushed the door open. She ignored the looks that some of the newer recruits gave her as she made her way up stairs. She went over to the room she shared with Kitty and entered.

"Rogue?" Kitty sat up from her bed in surprise. "Like what are you doin' here?"

"What does it look like?" murmured Rogue.

Kitty hopped off the bed and wrung her hands nervously. "I totally didn't touch any of your stuff while you were gone—everything's just the way you left it! This is still your room."

"Which is why Ah came in." Rogue gave Kitty a small smile to show her she wasn't angry, setting the younger girl at ease.

"Yeah…so, um…did Mr. Logan like tell you about Kurt?"

Rogue nodded. Kitty continued. "Do you think he'll be alright? He really loves Amanda…and I like totally hate seeing him so down like this."

"Ah wouldn't know."

"I guess not." Kitty sighed. "I'm gonna go get some ice cream, you want some?"

"No thanks. Ah just ate," replied Rogue. She watched as Kitty phased through the bedroom door before searching her drawers for her pajamas. But as she pulled them out she glanced up with a crease in her forehead. Rogue knew she wouldn't be able to sleep tonight. Instead she left the room and headed down the hallway.

The other mutants that were upstairs all paused upon seeing Rogue walking down the hallway. Everyone held their breaths as she knocked on one door in particular.

"Go away!" called out Kurt's forlornly. Rogue rolled her eyes and pushed the door open, closing it shut behind her. Kurt looked up ready to yell at the intruder, but no words came out as he caught sight of Rogue.

"This ain't meh comin' ta try ahn make up with ya or bond or whatever, alright? Ah just came to…see how you're doin'. Ah heard ya had a little problem at Amanda's place. Don't let it get you down, Ah'm pretty sure you ahn Amanda cahn find another way ta be together. Parents don't always need ta know everything."

"But—"

Rogue quickly cut him off. "Look, if Ah was you Ah'd try ahn prove ta Amanda's parents that ya really aren't a bad guy. You go to church, don't ya? Keep it up. They'll take notice…mutants cahn't be bad if they actually go ta church. Whatever you do, don't let them get to you."

"Thank-you," said Kurt simply. Rogue nodded sharply as she turned to leave. "And no matter what you think, Rogue, you are my big sister."

Rogue swallowed a small lump in her throat before opening the door and closing it shut behind her again. She ignored the curious looks sent her way as she returned to her bedroom. She shut her door and leaned back against it as a few stray tears trickled down her cheeks. With a suppressed sob Rogue slumped to the floor, not budging from her spot.

She didn't deserve to be welcomed back so easily. She didn't deserve to have Kurt as her brother. She didn't deserve the trust the X-Men had in her. Because she knew she was going to disappoint everyone someday soon.

**A/N: Alright, so I decided to bring Gambit in a little earlier than planned. I know he might seem a little out of character, but bear with me. Oh, and forgive me if his accent totally sucks. This is why I don't bother with Kurt's half the time. they're too hard to do. Anyway, I'm not sure how this chapter turned out. Personally I don't think it's very good. But I didn't know how else to represent the events. So hopefully it's not too bad. **


	34. The Acolyte

**Disclaimer: Not mine.**

**33-The Acolyte**

Rogue stifled a yawn as she made her way downstairs. Logan had put her through a grueling two hour practice session in the Danger Room…and now her entire body was sore. Rogue made a mental note to herself to try and keep in shape whenever she crashed over at the boarding house before she entered the kitchen. Crinkling her nose in disgust Rogue took her usual seat between Kurt and Bobby. She was half surprised not to see food being thrown about.

"Hey, Rogue," greeted Bobby warmly, holding out a bowl, "want a muffin?"

"What kind?" asked Rogue hesitantly.

Kurt spoke up from Rogue's other side, "The dangerous kind. Kitty made them. They aren't edible, watch." Kurt pulled a muffin out of the bowl in Bobby's hands and dropped it on the table. The muffin made a loud noise as it landed.

"Ya know, Ah'm really not that hungry after all," murmured Rogue.

"They aren't that bad!" Kitty defended herself with a sharp glare at both Bobby and Kurt.

Rogue raised an eyebrow. With swift movements she grabbed the fallen muffin and tossed it in the air, calling out, "Hey, Jonny, think fast."

St. John glanced up from the other side of Bobby and instantly took out his lighter, manipulating the flame to engulf the flying muffin. The room went silent as the muffin plunked back down on the table, crackling with flames. Bobby quickly put out the flame by touching the table top and icing it over.

"Okay," amended Kitty after a moment, "maybe I'm not the best cook in the world, but I'm totally working on it."

"Sugah, you've managed to bake up a batch of potential firearms. You're gonna need a lot of work if ya want to make somethin' edible," replied Rogue.

"Like you could do better," scoffed Amara from beside Kitty.

Rogue rolled her eyes and addressed Kitty. "If you have time this evenin' Ah'll show ya how ta make a real meal."

Kitty's eyes brightened up at the offer. "Really? That'd be great. Thanks, Rogue."

Rogue shrugged nonchalantly as she sat back in her seat. She wasn't sure why she had offered to help out Kitty, but she figured she might as well do some good while she lived under the same roof as the X-Men. If only to placate the guilty feeling she had whenever she thought about Magneto and the Brotherhood.

Kurt regarded Rogue with a surprised look. "I didn't know you knew how to cook."

"Does it matter?" shot back Rogue acerbically.

"Of course it matters!" continued Kurt ignoring the tone of her voice. "As your brother I have every right to know these kinds of things!"

"Shit." Rogue pushed back her seat and stalked out of the kitchen muttering under her breath.

"Think I went too far?" Kurt asked Bobby.

The blonde nodded. "Yeah, just a little. I don't think Rogue's ready to come to terms with your relationship yet. Give her some more time and I bet she'll come around."

"I sure hope so," sighed Kurt dismally. He leaned his elbows on the icy table and blew out another deep breath.

Across the table Amara was studying Bobby with admiration in her eyes. "I didn't know you could be so serious," she admitted. "It's sweet."

"Sweet? Bobby?" repeated St. John glancing back and forth between Bobby and Amara. His face darkened as he saw the look in Amara's eyes. She was developing something of a crush on Bobby…his closest friend at the mansion. "For the love of God," he muttered as he got out of his seat. With a shake of his head St. John made his way out of the kitchen and towards the front door. A walk to school might do him some good.

Already standing outside was Rogue lighting up a cigarette. She didn't even glance up as St. John joined her. Without a word she handed him a cigarette and watched as he put it in his mouth and gave her a wink. Rogue gave a startled jump as a flame from her cigarette hit his.

"Next time ya decide ta do that, warn meh."

"You got yerself a deal, Shelia."

Rogue chuckled as St. John made his way down the walkway motioning for Rogue to follow him. "So tell meh, Jonny, did Dr. McCoy join the X-Men yesterday?"

"Him an' some other kid. A damn foreigner too—quiet and arty. He paints," remarked St. John as they walked.

"You don't say? Ah take it ya aren't very fond of him?"

St. John shrugged. "He's alright. But the girls think he's some kind of god. Strong as an ox. They're startin' to call him Hercules."

Rogue groaned. "That's the lamest thing Ah've ever heard."

"You're tellin' me, Shelia. The guy hasn't said two words since he arrived. He scares the shit outta me."

"Hmm." Rogue made a noncommittal sound as she digested this new piece of information. It seemed Piotr was going to be a challenge. And Rogue was growing tired of new challenges.

"But what really gets me is the way the perky girl is hangin' all over him."

"Perky girl?" repeated Rogue jolting from her chance.

"Yeah, the one who can't cook. She's been goin' outta her way ta make him feel welcome. I think she has a crush on the poor fella. I guess she an' whatshisface are on the outs," answered St. John. Rogue chewed on her lip, her mind whirling a million miles per second. Lance wouldn't take too kindly to this latest piece of news.

**Boarding House:**

Tabitha was lounging on the couch, periodically checking her watch when the front door of the boarding house flew open. She glanced up in surprise, and made a face as the blue shape shifter known as Mystique entered.

Mystique's eyes instantly locked on Tabitha suspiciously. "What the hell are you doing here?" she demanded shrilly.

"Swimming—what the hell does it look like I'm doing here?" tossed back Tabitha with a low growl.

"Hmph. Fucking brat. I'm not about to let you stay under my roof when you still have close ties to the X-Men."

"No," agreed Tabitha slyly, "but you will let both your children work for the X-Men instead. I don't know how you've managed to stay alive so long after all you're brilliant planning, woman. You're a fucking joke."

"Is that so?" Mystique narrowed her eyes before continuing. "You have until tomorrow to get out of this house or I swear to God you'll wish you had never been born. And trust me when I say I can make that happen."

"You're all bark and no bite, Mystique. You know Rogue's my best friend here…she'd kill you before you could even touch me, and you know it. So don't threaten me, or you'll wish _you _had never been born." Tabitha smirked in triumph as Mystique lapsed into silence.

At that very moment Lance and Pietro decided to make their way downstairs. Lance groaned aloud. "What the hell are you doing back? I thought you had left town."

"Oh please," said Mystique. "Don't forget who's in charge here. Just because I'm not around doesn't mean you don't have to follow my rules. You boys need to shape up. The X-Men could kick your asses blindfolded. I'm only stopping by to let you know I'm gathering in a new recruit. I should be back in a day or two. Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone."

"You mean like tell Roguey you decided to drop by while she was out? She'll be crushed to know you didn't want to see her," replied Pietro flippantly.

"Don't push it, Pietro. Just because your father is Magneto doesn't mean I won't kick your ass. Shape up—you boys are sorry excuses for mutants. I don't know why I'm bothering with you still."

Toad bounced into the living room with an indignant look on his face. "You're full of shit, Mystique. You need us and you know it."

"Yeah…and don't threaten my friends or I'll sit on you," added Fred with a dangerous gleam in his eyes.

Lance chuckled. "Looks like you're losing your edge, Mystique. Our loyalties don't lie with you anymore."

Mystique eyed each of her charges silently. Finally she said, "You brats have gone soft over Rogue. That won't get you far. She's working with the X-Men…she cannot be trusted."

"Neither can you," announced another voice. Mystique turned to the doorway and inwardly cursed at seeing Sabertooth standing in the doorway with a young auburn haired man with a matching goatee and red irises.

"What the hell do you want, fur ball?" she challenged.

Sabertooth grunted. "Just thought I'd drop by. Didn't you miss me?"

"Fuck you."

"You have a mission, Mystique. Stick to it. Leave the boys to me. I'll fix 'em up for you." Sabertooth gave a deep chuckle as the four teens in question blanched. It was a well known fact that Sabertooth could be something of a slave driver when dealing with underlings.

"Fine," relented Mystique after a thoughtful silence. "I'll be back in a few days." She glared at Tabitha, who simply flipped her off, and disappeared out the front door.

Sabertooth turned his attention to the Brotherhood with a growl. "She's right. You boys are out of shape. The boss won't like it if you were beaten like a bunch of pansies." Then Sabertooth turned his attention to Tabitha. "You. Where do you stand?"

"Excuse me?" murmured Tabitha getting to her feet.

"Are you with us or are you with the X-Men?"

Tabitha raised an eyebrow. "Now that's an interesting question. I'll let you know later. I think school's gonna come first today. Don't get your whiskers in a bunch while I'm gone." Tabitha snickered as she bounded out the front door.

"Damn bitch." Sabertooth shook his head and glanced back to the males. "I don't have time to be messin' around with a bunch of kids. So Gambit here is gonna whip you four in shape. Don't go too hard on them." The last part was spoken to man behind him.

"I'll try my best," said Remy with a smirk. Sabertooth nodded as he left the boarding house.

"What the hell is this?" demanded Lance eyeing the Cajun up and down. "You think you can boss us around? I'll show you what it's like to try and mess with me, asshole." Lance clenched his hands into fists and the ground began to shake.

Remy didn't even flinch a muscle as the house made a creaking noise. "Keep dat up an' the whole house'll come down."

Lance felt his jaw tighten in anger, but he unclenched his fists, stopping the earthquake. Pietro made a face. "Who the hell are you?"

"The name, mon amis, is Remy Lebeau. But you can call me Gambit. I'm in charge of you jokes now. As soon as you get back from school da real fun will begin."

**School:**

Lance was still grumbling as he made his way into the school. He was sick and tired of being pushed around by others. One day soon he was going to let them know how he felt, and he sure as hell wasn't going to be nice about it. And the first one on his list was the damn Acolyte.

With this revengeful thought foremost on his mind, Lance was not prepared to see his girlfriend chatting up the new kid in school. And not just any new kid—the Russian art freak. This really wasn't turning out to be his day.

"Don't even think about it," warned Rogue in a soft, but dangerous tone of voice. Lance felt a gloved hand grab his arm, stopping him from walking over to Kitty and Piotr.

"Why not? What the hell does she think she's doing talking to him?" snapped Lance irritably.

Rogue sighed. "Lance, do ya really want meh ta go into the reasons why? Gawd, Ah don't even know why Ah'm stoppin' you. Ah should let ya go ahead ahn make an idiot of yourself ahn Kitty. It'd serve you right."

Lance turned to glance at Rogue. "You're gonna hold that against me for the rest of my life, aren't you?"

"Ah wasn't plannin' ohn it."

"Admit it, you miss me."

Rogue frowned. "Lance—"

"Yeah, yeah, I know, you're trying to deal with the whole Maximoff thing. I don't know why you're wasting your time with him—even if he is ten times better than that rich playboy you had in New York. But I know you can do better, Roguey." Lance lowered his voice with a sly grin on his face as he leaned towards Rogue.

"Don't push your luck, sugah," replied Rogue gently pushing Lance away with her hand.

"I'll give you points for dumping that Warren guy, but I don't get why you did it for Maximoff. He's worse than I am when it comes to girls. You should know that."

"Ah didn't break up with Warren just 'cause of Speedy," murmured Rogue. "There were a lot of different reasons. Speedy is only a small part of them."

"I'm tellin' ya, Rogue; I'd treat you better this time if you gave me the chance."

"Ah'll pass."

Lance shrugged with a teasing smile. "Have it your way, but you're missing out. Maximoff isn't the guy for you, Rogue. Trust me on this would you?" Lance chuckled and turned to walk away, passing Scott and Bobby who had overheard the whole thing.

Scott scratched his head as Rogue glanced at him. "You and Warren broke up?" he asked.

"It's not a big deal," said Rogue leaning back against the lockers.

"Not a big deal? Rogue, we're friends, you can tell us these things, you know?" Scott edged closer with evident concern on his face. "Especially if you're thinking of getting with Pietro—why didn't you tell me?"

"Why do Ah have ta tell you anythin'?" questioned Rogue. "It's none of your business."

"Rogue—"

"Scott, you ahn Ah didn't work out. We both know why. Ahn, yeah, we're kinda friends, but that doesn't mean Ah'm gonna tell ya everythin' goin' ohn in mah life. So what if Warren ahn Ah broke up? So what if Ah'm thinkin' of datin' Speedy? Gawd, one kiss doesn't mean anythin'—why do you guys have ta make it into such a big deal?"

"I just think that you're making a bad decision, Rogue."

Rogue rolled her eyes. "'Course ya do, 'cause we all know that you're good at makin' good ones yourself. Scott, the whole school knows you've got a thing for Jeanie…so why date Taryn, huh? You have no right ta tell meh that Ah'm makin' a bad decision when ya cahn't make the right choice either." With a shake of her head Rogue pushed past Scott and Bobby to head towards homeroom.

Bobby watched in dumbfounded silence as Scott stalked off in the other direction. He had had no idea Scott had kissed Rogue—but that was minor news compared to the other. Rogue and Warren had broken up. She was single again. Bobby still had a chance to prove himself to Rogue.

"Hey, mate, what're you smilin' about?" asked St. John joining the blonde teen.

"Rogue broke up with Warren."

"Yeah, yeah, the Sheila is datin' the Speedster." St. John waved a hand in the air with a bored expression on his face.

Bobby turned and shook St. John by the shoulders. "Not officially! I have a chance with her now—I'm not screwing up this time! I'm gonna prove to Rogue that I'm not just a goof-off! I'm gonna show her who I really am!"

St. John was speechless as Bobby bounded away with an eager look in his eyes. "But…bloody hell! What does a fella gotta do to get some attention around here?" muttered the Aussie to himself. "The guy already has Jubilee and Amara—what the hell is his problem?"

**Lunch:**

"So your evil stepmother decided to drop by this morning," murmured Tabitha as she and Rogue made their way over towards the Brotherhood table.

"What did she want?"

"She gave me an ultimatum. I have to be out of the house by the time she returns. Apparently she's getting a new recruit. Just thought you might like to know…but don't worry, she's afraid of you now. She was practically shaking when Pietro mentioned your name. Are you sure you're related to her?"

Rogue sighed. "Ah wish Ah wasn't."

Pietro glanced up with a grin as Rogue took the seat beside him. "Hey, Roguey, how's life at the mansion again?"

"Lets just say Ah'm havin' second thoughts—but there's no way in hell Ah'm stayin' with y'all while that new guy is there," replied Rogue in a low voice.

"We know what you mean, yo—the guy's gonna shape us up. Sabertooth thinks we're wimps," grumbled Toad chewing on a carrot stick.

"Good luck. The guy doesn't look that tough ta meh."

"I'm gonna sit on him if he tries any funny stuff," announced Fred pounding the table with a fist.

"Yeah," agreed Tabitha with a frown, "I'm not sure if I want part of that. Crashing at the boarding house was fine and dandy 'til the Wicked Witch of the West decided to drop by. I don't wanna play by her rules. Let Amara know I'm gonna want my room back pretty soon. I have a feeling I'm gonna have to go back to the mansion."

"Tabby! We need to talk!" Lance's voice startled both Rogue and Tabitha as it called out across the cafeteria.

"Do I really want to?" questioned Tabitha to Rogue.

"Ah think he's lookin' for a way ta piss Kitty off. He saw her flirtin' with the Russian kid this mornin'."

Tabitha's eyes lit up in delight. "Well in that case, don't wait up." Tabitha got to her feet and headed over to Lance. Rogue shook her head with an amused smile as the pair disappeared out of the cafeteria. Rogue turned her attention back to the table in time to see St. John join them. The Aussie had a sour expression on his face, and Rogue was just about to comment on it when Jean appeared at her shoulder.

"Rogue, can we talk?" asked the red head quietly. Rogue glanced up and made a face, but she nodded as she got to her feet. The two girls made their way out of the cafeteria and down the hallway until the reached the side door leading outside. Jean glanced around carefully before pushing the door open. Rogue rolled her eyes and followed suit.

Outside a cold wind was blowing, forcing Rogue to clamp her arms around her body to keep warm. "Alright, you wanted ta talk, so talk. Ah'm freezin' out here."

Jean nodded absently. "Um…the thing is…well, the other day. Rogue, when you had your little…freak out…um, it wasn't really you in control…it was me, or at least the part of me I keep hidden."

"Yeah, Ah noticed. You've got somethin' dangerous inside of you, Jeanie. Ah don't know what it is, but it's pretty damn blood thirsty. Ah take it no one else knows about this other you?"

"Pietro kinda knows, but I don't think he really understands it. But, no, no one else knows, and, frankly, I don't think anyone else needs to know. Rogue, I'm hoping you'll do me this tiny little favor and keep my secret to yourself—at least until I can figure out exactly what it is inside of me and how to control it. The Professor—he's great at what he does, but I'm afraid I might be forced into hiding or something worse…like an asylum because of what I am."

Rogue blew out a frustrated breath. "Fine. Ah won't talk about it, but you need to find out how ta control it ahn let meh know, Jeanie, 'cause part of it is in meh too now. There are too many people in mah head, but you're the scariest one up there. Ah don't wanna lose control again, ya got it?"

"I got it. I promise, I'll try and figure out how to control my powers just as long as you keep quiet for a little while," agreed Jeanie with evident relief written across her face.

"Okay." Rogue watched as Jean headed back inside the school. Uncrossing her arms Rogue brought a pair of crossed fingers in front of her face. "Ah won't talk ta the X-Men about it, Jeanie, but Ah never promised Ah wouldn't try ahn figure out what kind of dormant powers you've got hidden inside of you. Ahn there's only one person who cahn help meh out."

With those words Rogue set off away from the school in search of Caliban.

Meanwhile, Jean entered the cafeteria and came across a group of students. They had their backs to her and were cheering at something going on in the middle of a large circle. Jean pushed her way to the front of the circle and groaned at the sight of Pietro and Scott throwing punches at one another on the floor. She was about to put a stop to it when Principal Kelly entered the cafeteria. With a sigh she kept still, there was no use irking his anger anymore than possible.

**Other Side of Town:**

Rogue stood in front of a window watching one of the various televisions sitting there talk about a mysterious fire. It seemed an asylum had been burned down, and all the inhabitants inside the asylum were on the loose. Many of them were dangerous to the public. Rogue snorted and turned to walk down an alley. She wasn't surprised to see Caliban there waiting for her.

"Ah see ya made it back alive from the Big Easy," remarked Rogue.

Caliban nodded. "The job was completed and as soon as we reached Bayville, Sabertooth and I parted ways. I have been most concerned about you, however. You lost control, Rogue. I was afraid something like this would happen. Your powers are most intriguing, as well as dangerous."

"Well Ah made it out alright, if not a little tired ahn out of shape. But that's kinda why Ah wanted ta talk to you. See, Ah wasn't really in control when Ah had mah power outage. It seems when Ah drained Jeanie way back when Ah drained something else too. She has a hidden power—a dangerous, evil kind of power inside of her. Ah was wonderin' if you might know somethin' about it."

"Are you sure?" asked Caliban. Rogue nodded, and the pale faced mutant lapsed into a temporary silence. "There were rumors once that there had been a prophecy about mutant and human kind. I do not know what this prophecy was, but believe the powers within Jean Grey may have a role to play. I have sensed two parts to her before…but I did not imagine that she had a darker side."

"Sugah, everyone has a dark side. It's just a matter of lettin' it out every once in a while," murmured Rogue with an amused grin.

"Perhaps. There is one mutant who does know the prophecy. Destiny."

Rogue made a face. "There's no way in hell Ah'm talkin' to that woman ever again. Ah'm sick ahn tired of all her mumbo jumbo."

"I will see if I can learn anything about this prophecy for you, Rogue. I fear it is very important and will soon come into play."

**Mansion: **

Rogue was still mulling over the latest turn of events when she returned to the mansion later that afternoon. She had returned to school briefly only to learn that Pietro and Scott had been suspended for a day. So she had left and wandered around town trying to figure out what to do next. Technically she was supposed to help woo Piotr and St. John to Magneto's side, but she wasn't sure how she was supposed to do that without making the X-Men suspicious.

The front door flew open and Rogue found herself being dragged inside the mansion by Kitty speaking a mile a minute. "It's about time you got here, Rogue, you're supposed to teach me to cook, remember?"

Rogue groaned. She had forgotten about that. Kitty dragged Rogue into the kitchen, where Bobby and St. John were already seated at the counter.

Bobby looked up with a grin. "Alright, so you guys are cooking dinner."

"Dinner?" repeated Rogue. "Oh no, Ah never said anythin' 'bout cookin' dinner. Ah just said Ah would teach Kitty how ta cook."

St. John chuckled. "Sorry Shelia, the whole house thinks you're cookin' dinner."

"Man, that's just mah luck. Ah offer ta do one nice thing ahn everyone decides Ah'm doin' the whole mansion a favor. You owe meh for this, Kitty."

"No problem, just tell me what to do first."

"This outta be fun," murmured St. John. He gulped as Rogue issued him a dark look.

"Out," she ordered pointing to the kitchen door. "Both of you out. There's no way in hell Ah'm teachin' Kitty ta cook with two Neanderthals mockin' her every move. Out!"

Bobby and St. John grumbled but both teens made their way out of the kitchen. Rogue breathed in relief as soon as the kitchen door swung shut. Turning her attention back to Kitty she sighed. This was going to be a long process.

Two hours later Rogue wearily took a seat at the counter beside Kitty. The lasagna was done. Not particularly her favorite meal, but Rogue figured it was better to start Kitty out on something easy rather than something complicated. So lasagna had been the obvious choice—especially since they were supposed to be feeding the entire mansion.

Kitty sighed. "Man, cooking's really hard work, isn't it? Maybe Mr. Logan should offer cooking courses instead of Danger Room sessions. I'd totally take those."

"Meh too. Ah'm still sore from this mornin'," agreed Rogue with a tired yawn.

"He shouldn't have pushed you so hard today," said Kitty glancing over at Rogue. "He knew you had a rough couple days—he really should have let you rest up. I don't know how much rest you got at the boarding house, but it sure as heck couldn't have been much."

Rogue shrugged. "Ah managed. Logan isn't the type ta ever take it easy ohn someone. He'll push meh just ta make sure Ah don't slack off in the future—that ahn Ah think he was still mad that Ah decided ta crash over at the boarding house rather than here."

"Kurt's really trying you know."

"Ah don't wanna talk about it." The two girls lapsed into a temporary silence until Kitty started talking again.

"Is Lance mad at me? I saw him take off with Tabitha at lunch." Kitty's voice held a tinge of pain in it, causing Rogue to flinch in guilt.

"He saw you with the Russian—he didn't take it very well," admitted Rogue quietly.

Kitty gave a half-hearted laugh. "I guess it's my fault really…I keep pushing him away. It's just…I can't compete with you, Rogue. I can't."

"Kitty, ya never had to compete with me for Lance. He's had a thing for you long before him ahn Ah got together. He doesn't want ya to be like meh—he likes you for who you are. Gawd that's cheesy."

"But I always felt like he was comparing me to you. Rogue, you're perfect. You've got this no nonsense attitude that Lance likes. Me, I'm into science. That's why Kurt and I clicked for a while. He loves Star Wars, and I could be myself with him. But with Lance I always feel like I have to be someone else…and I can't be."

Rogue shook her head. "That's the thing, Kitty, Lance is never gonna be the guy ya want him ta be. He's not an X-Man, ahn that's why he lets you push him away. He's not the type of guy ta settle down forever. He's always gonna be roamin' around doin' his own thing. He hates Speedy with a passion—oh, they cahn tolerate each other for a while, but Lance is a leader. He hates followin' the rules."

"He listens to you," pointed out Kitty.

"That's different. Ah don't let Lance boss meh around, but Ah don't boss him around either. He knows that Ah cahn hold mah own. We came to a silent agreement that we're equal. He listens ta meh as a friend, nothin' more. But he doesn't like it when you're always comparin' him ta the X-Men. Kitty, what you hafta understand is that there's a big difference between the Brotherhood ahn the X-Men, ahn that it's always gonna separate y'all."

"Like what?"

"The X-Men are all about family. Y'all have people who love you, care for you, ahn willin' ta do anythin' for one another. The Brotherhood doesn't have that."

Kitty frowned. "That's not true though. Scott doesn't have family, and Bobby's parents don't even know he's a mutant."

"That's not the point. Scott has you guys. The X-Men are always there for each other. Bobby _has _parents. The Brotherhood…Ah was raised by a couple who found meh ohn their doorstep. Ah…Ah grew up in a small town; mah best friend was mah first boyfriend…ahn mah first kiss. His parents ahn mahne thought he ahn Ah were gonna get married. Hell, Ah thought Ah was gonna marry Cody too. Mah life was perfect. Mah parents supported meh…ahn then they found out they were gonna have a baby…

"Everything changer after that. Cody ahn Ah kissed—but it was all wrong. Mah…powers kicked in ahn everything went downhill from there. Cody's parents wanted ta send meh ta an asylum…Ah didn't stick around ta find out if they meant a loony bin or some kinda research lab. Mah parents were willin' ta agree.

"Ah didn't have anyone after that. Ah was ohn mah own. That's why the Brotherhood was so perfect for meh…kinda like the misfits bandin' together. See, in the Brotherhood we don't have family. Lance's dad passed away a long time ago. His mom wasn't always there. Pietro—Gawd, his dad is never gonna win a father of the year award. It's Magneto, what else cahn Ah say. Ahn as for Toad ahn Freddy…well, Toad grew up in an orphanage, ahn Freddy bounced around in foster care. Ahn Tabby…well, she has bad family history too.

"Kitty, the X-Men are like the ones who were always cared for, always loved. The Brotherhood is for loners like meh…like Lance. We don't have anyone we cahn trust. We make do ohn our own. So you gotta tread carefully when it comes ta Lance. He's not used to being cared for in the way you care for him. Ahn flirtin' with this Piotr is really tearin' him up—even if it looks like it isn't."

Kitty sniffed as she wiped away a tear. "Do you think Lance and I are gonna be okay?"

"Ta be honest, Ah don't know if Lance is the one for you, Kitty…he isn't for meh, that much Ah know…ahn Ah'm not sure he's for Tabby either. But Ah'm not a fortune teller. Opposites do attract…but only if you're both willin' ta work for it," replied Rogue softly.

"You're really something, you know that?" asked Kitty with a tearful smile.

Rogue shrugged uncomfortably. She hadn't meant to say all that to Kitty—especially the part about her past. "Just don't go around tellin' people everythin'. It's in the past, ahn Ah don't live in the past anymore."

"Then why won't you try and get to know Kurt? He really needs you, Rogue. You're his sister."

"Ah'm not ready ta deal with that part of mah life yet, not until Ah cahn come ta terms with Mystique first. Ah'm not comfortable with this whole family thing. It's a lot ta handle knowin' mah birth mother is a terrorist, that Kurt is mah brother, ahn that somewhere out there Ah have a father who doesn't know Ah exist."

"Rogue, you're never gonna be alone. Not as long as you're with the X-Men," said Kitty placing a gently hand on Rogue's shoulder.

"You have no idea how wrong you are, though," whispered Rogue. "Ah will always be alone."

Kitty opened her mouth to argue, but the kitchen door was flung open as the rest of the mansion piled in for dinner. Rogue quickly got up from the counter and set about setting the table. Kitty watched with conflicting emotions on her face before helping Rogue out. They could finish their conversation later.

**A/N: Alright, this chapter is basically a filler chapter—not much happening. I'm sorry it took so long to get it out, but I haven't felt particularly inspired to write this week. I've been too busy stressing over how I'm going to pay for college for the next two years. But, I'll try harder to get the next chapter up soon. **


	35. Restraint

**Disclaimer: No es mío. **

**34-Restraint**

"You guys look like shit," announced Tabitha bluntly as the Brotherhood filed into the house. Behind them came Remy, who was grinning from ear to ear. It was the third day in a row that the Brotherhood had been out training with the Cajun.

"Thanks," grumbled Lance plopping down on the couch beside Tabitha. "Why don't you come practice with us?"

"Because there's no point in it. If Little Miss Fuck-it really decides to return I'm not stayin'. I'd rather take my chances with the X-Men than with her."

Pietro snorted as he lowered himself into a chair. "You just don't wanna be on Rogue's bad side when Mystique takes the reins again."

"Neither do you," shot back the blonde. Further argument was postponed as a beam of headlights shone through the front window. Tabitha turned in her seat to peer out into the night. "Speaking of the she-devil—it looks likes she's back already. And…she really does have a recruit."

"What?" Lance turned as well and frowned. "Looks like a girl."

"Lemme see," ordered Pietro shoving in between Lance and Tabitha. His face paled, and his eyes widened in shock. "No. _No_."

"Former flame?" teased Tabitha.

"That's my sister!" croaked out Pietro in a hoarse whisper. He shrunk away from the window and glanced around the living room wildly. "Whatever you do, don't tell her I'm here!"

"You have a sister? Oo, Rogue ain't gonna like this, yo," chuckled Toad. Pietro glared at him and pulled open the closet door just as the front door swung open. It was too late. Mystique stepped into the room, freezing Pietro in his spot. The speedster gulped as his eyes locked on the girl directly behind the shape shifter.

The girl had dark eyes and long tangled hair to match. She was dressed in baggy sweats and a shirt two sizes too big for her, with a large jacket over it. Her eyes narrowed as she caught sight of Pietro.

"Pietro," she said with a strained tone of voice.

"H-hey, Wanda, how's it going?" returned Pietro tugging at the collar of his shirt nervously.

"How's it going? _How's it going? _I'm gonna kill you!" shrieked Wanda. She clutched her hands into fists and a dark red glow seemed to resonate around her body. Pietro squeaked and dodged behind the chair, only to have it cut in half, the top portion bouncing down on top of his head.

"What the hell is she doing?" demanded Lance putting himself in front of Tabitha.

"Hexing me," moaned Pietro. Lance frowned and clutched his own hands into fists, letting loose a tremor that shook the entire boarding house. Wanda didn't even blink as she turned her attention on the dark haired teen, sending the tremor back his way. Lance stumbled backwards into Tabitha, knocking both of them to the ground.

"What a woman," breathed Toad in awe as he peered out from behind Fred.

"That's enough, Wanda," stated Mystique. Wanda looked ready to argue but folded her arms against her chest instead, glaring over at Pietro.

"I'm outta here," muttered Tabitha. She pushed herself to her feet and headed upstairs, dutifully ignoring Mystique's gaze. "Don't worry, lady, I'm leaving for good. I don't wanna catch whatever disease it is you're carrying."

"Brat," murmured Mystique under her breath. The blue mutant turned her attention to Remy who was leaning against the kitchen doorway. "What are you doing here?"

"Only my job," remarked Remy casually. "Da boss man said you weren't doin' your job, so here I am—doin' it for you. I'm putting these boys in shape."

"And he's doing a better job than you could." Tabitha grinned cheerfully as she came down the stairs, a canvas bag slung over her shoulders. "Of course, even a two year old could do a better job than you."

"You're not really leaving, are you?" asked Lance as he finally pushed himself onto his feet.

Tabitha shrugged. "Sorry, but you boys know where to find me. Later, shifty, I'll tell Rogue you said hi—that oughtta get the girl fumin', don't you think? Maybe she'll pay you a little surprise visit."

Mystique was glowering as Tabitha headed out the front door and vanished into the night. Then she turned her attention back to the rest of the household. "From now on this team is it. No one else can join, got it? I'm sick and tired of getting the cast offs from the X-Men."

Lance snickered. "Thirty bucks says she'd take Rogue back in a heartbeat if the X-Men ever kicked her outta the mansion."

"Fifty bucks says Rogue would kill Mystique before she ever came back," replied Pietro darkly.

"Shut up," snapped Mystique. "I think it's high time we hit those X-Men with all we've got. And this time I don't want to see you brats fucking up—you'll stay until each and every one of Xavier's kids is down and out for the count."

Toad made a face. "Not Rogue, yo, she'll kill us if we ever laid a hand against her."

"I don't give a damn. She's an X-Man. She isn't on our side." Mystique practically growled as she spoke.

Pietro peeked up from behind the broken chair and gazed at Mystique thoughtfully. "There are a lot of things you don't know about Rogue," he said simply.

Remy stepped in before Mystique could lash out at the teen. "I t'ink the crazy woman has an idea here. I t'ink you boys are ready to show those X-Geeks what you're made of. If not, well it was nice knowin' ya."

"_This _is why you brought me here?" asked Wanda accusingly. "To fight some battle for you? That's rich—I almost expected better from you. Well, I'll let you in on a little secret, I'm not fighting. The only one I want to hurt is my father…and he's locked up in prison. So while I'm thankful that you burned down the asylum I was at, I'm outta here."

Mystique rolled her eyes as she spoke. "Go then, but know this, Wanda, if you leave you'll never get the chance to go after Magneto. The X-Men will keep him locked up forever, and I already know that Xavier is looking for you. He knows just how dangerous you are, and he won't stop until you either locked up or in his control. But if you stay I promise you'll get a chance to go after Magneto. But only if you destroy the X-Men."

Wanda frowned as she stood her ground. "Fine." Then she turned on her heels and disappeared upstairs. A door slammed shut, causing the Brotherhood to flinch.

"Your sister's hot, yo," stated Toad glancing over at Pietro.

"She'll kill you if you so much as look at her funny," remarked Pietro.

Toad shrugged. "I always liked a good challenge, man."

"You don't even know how to spell challenge," said Fred scratching his head.

"H-E-R," was Toad's witty reply.

Remy shook his head and pushed himself off the door frame. "I'll be by tomorrow afternoon, den. Be ready."

"I don't like him," muttered Mystique the moment Remy had left the house.

"Looks like you don't have a choice," said Lance. "Sabertooth brought him in. Your boss man has a plan…and you're outta the loop again."

Pietro sighed and drifted upstairs, ignoring the argument between Lance and Mystique. He was ready to enter his room when he noticed the bathroom door slightly closed with the light on. Pietro took a deep breath and headed over to it, pushing the door open gently.

Wanda glared at him with narrowed eyes. She had a pair of scissors in her hands, and her hair was soaking wet. "Get lost," she ordered.

"I didn't know you were out," remarked Pietro leaning against the doorway.

"Fuck you. I didn't know you were still working with that man you call father. I should have known though, you won't ever do anything to piss _daddy_ off. God-damn prick."

"He had his reasons you know."

"Spare me the lecture, Pietro. I'm only here so I can kill him later. Mystique promised me she'd give me the first shot at him the second he got out."

"That's if she's still alive when he gets outta jail. The way she's goin' I don't think she's gonna last much longer. She's got a lot of people after her. One's a lot like you, holding the same kind of grudge against Mystique that you hold against our dad."

"As long as this person doesn't get in my way—I'll keep Mystique alive as long as it means I can kill _him_," vowed Wanda through clenched teeth. With a determined look on her face she began to hack at her hair with the scissors.

"Sometimes I wonder how it's even possible that we're twins," started Pietro bitterly. "We're always going to be on opposite sides. But you know what? I think this time even your powers won't protect you."

Wanda paused in her cutting to glance Pietro's way, but the speedster was already gone. She bit down on her tongue and went back to cutting her hair, concentrating solely on the snip of the scissors and not Pietro's words. She'd show him. She'd show everyone.

**The Next Day:**

Pietro was waiting for Rogue beside her locker when school ended. Rogue instantly noted the strained look on his face as she opened up her locker.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Mystique brought in a new recruit."

"Ah heard. Tabby spent all evening with the Professor talkin' about it. Who is she?"

"My sister," murmured Pietro.

Rogue shut her locker sharply and glanced over at Pietro. "You have a sister?"

"Not just any sister. A powerful mutant of a sister. Rogue, Wanda is dangerous. Really dangerous. She hexes people," said Pietro quietly.

"Hexes people? Ah don't understand."

"Her powers can turn everyone else's powers against them. Her powers enable her to get everything to work her way."

Rogue frowned. "Ahn you're tellin' meh this because…"

"Good ol' Gambit decided that the Brotherhood and the X-Men would have a little showdown today. Mystique got Wanda to agree to join us. Only so Wanda can play out her little revenge card one day."

"Revenge card?"

Pietro sighed. "You know how you want to kill your mother? Wanda feels the same way about our dad."

Rogue let the information seep into her brain. "When is it gonna happen? The battle."

"As soon as we all show up at the boarding house," answered Pietro.

"Pietro, Ah need ya ta tell meh everythin' you cahn about Wanda—especially all the stuff that concerns Mags. There's no way in hell Ah'm lettin' Mystique screw up all mah plans."

Pietro nodded shortly. He grabbed Rogue by the elbow and led her out of the school, whispering a mile a minute. He knew he could count on her to take care of everything. That was why Magneto had wanted her on his side in the first place.

Meanwhile, Scott was pacing in front of his car, waiting for the others to show up. Or namely Jean.

"Don't make a hole in the ground," snickered Kurt as he appeared in the back seat of Scott's car.

"Out. I need to talk to Jean, and I'd rather do it without you guys listening in," replied Scott distractedly.

"That's not fair though," pouted Kitty as she joined the two teen boys. "How are we gonna get home?"

"You do know how to walk, don't you?" retorted Bobby as he and St. John appeared.

Scott groaned. "Come on, guys, do me this one favor, would you?"

"What's in it for us, mate?" demanded St. John suspiciously.

"I'll try and get Logan to cut back on Danger Room sessions this weekend. I'll tell him we need a break. We've been training too hard lately anyway."

Kitty cheered. "Sounds like a plan to me. Have fun asking Jean out. Everyone already knows what her answer will be."

"Ha. Ha," deadpanned Scott crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"Guys!" Jean's worried cry startled the team. She was headed their way at a brisk walk. "We've got a problem. And I mean a _big _problem. The Brotherhood is causing a ruckus at the mall! The Professor wants us to get to the mansion pronto and change into our uniforms. He says the whole team—old and new are gonna be needed for this."

"Let's go then," agreed Scott brusquely. The teens scrambled into his car and were soon speeding towards the mansion.

**The Mall:**

"You know, I never liked shopping here, yo," stated Toad hopping on top of the second floor banister.

"That's because you could never afford anything," sneered Avalanche flexing his fingers. He didn't feel very comfortable in his uniform, simply due to the fact that he never had to wear it much. Mystique hadn't liked them going up against the X-Men much, but apparently she had changed her mind since Wanda the Scarlet Witch had agreed to fight on their side.

"Where the hell is Pietro?" snapped the Scarlet Witch irritably.

Gambit snorted. "I don' t'ink the boy could handle goin' up against his girl."

The Scarlet Witch raised an eyebrow. "Pietro has a girlfriend? Are you sure we're talking about the same lowlife piece of dirt here?" She shook her head and continued walking through the now empty mall. Her dark hair had been chopped short, barely reaching her eyes, and the top had been died a maroon red to stand out against the black. She was also wearing a red uniform underneath a maroon coat that went down to her ankles.

The Blob made a face. "Rogue isn't dating Maximoff, is she? I thought she was dating wing boy."

"You're a little behind, Blob," replied Mystique darkly. But there was a sense of satisfaction on her face upon learning that Rogue and Warren were in Splits-Ville.

"We've got company," growled Sabertooth sniffing the air. "It smells like the whole team's here."

The Brotherhood made their way to the escalators in time to see the X-Men entering the mall. Sabertooth had been right; the whole team was there in their uniforms. Cyclops, Wolverine, Storm, Beast, Jean, Nightcrawler, Shadow Cat, Iceman, Pyro, Magma, Jubilee, Sunspot, Bezerker, Cannonball, Boom-Boom, Wolfsbane, and even Colossus.

"Let's have us a little fun, huh?" suggested Avalanche cracking his knuckles gleefully. The others nodded in agreement and began to advance down the stopped escalators.

"Alright, Lance, you've had your fun—it's time you guys learned a lesson!" shouted Cyclops readying a single hand near his visor.

"Go ahead, try," taunted Avalanche boldly. Cyclops gritted his teeth and shot a red beam in Avalanche's direction. The Scarlet Witch was already in action before anyone realized what she was doing. One second the beam was getting ready to hit Avalanche and then the next it was flying back to hit Cyclops in the gut, sending the X-Man to the ground.

Jean swallowed back some fear as she steadied her voice to be heard by the team. "Remember what the professor said!" she called out. The others nodded—some more hesitantly than the others, but they quickly scattered in a couple different directions preparing for battle.

About a block away from the mall were Rogue and Pietro walking side by side. Neither said a word as they walked. They both knew what they had to do. Pietro was dressed in his uniform while Rogue had opted for something else. She didn't consider herself part of any team, and so she had dug out a pair of form fitting black pants, knee high brown boots, a long sleeved form fitting black shirt that reached her mid-riff, a short brown jacket that was only an inch longer than her shirt with sleeves that reached her elbows, and a pair of fingerless brown gloves.

The two teens paused outside of the mall, glanced at each other once, and then pushed the doors open to step inside the shopping center. Rogue sighed at the sight. For once in their lives the Brotherhood seemed to be winning.

Avalanche and Cyclops had resorted to fists; Sabertooth and Wolverine were attempting to shred each other apart; Nightcrawler was busy tackling Toad to the ground while Shadow Cat helped Storm pull off the acid mask on her face; the Blob was going one on one with Colossus; Gambit was knocking Iceman and Pyro around with a bo-staff; and Mystique was easily bringing down the new recruits, including Boom-Boom who refused to go down as quickly as her comrades. Meanwhile the Scarlet Witch was hexing everyone and everything that got in her path, including a very frustrated Jean Grey who looked ready to lose control.

"Its show time," announced Quicksilver softly.

"Then lets give them a show ta remember," replied Rogue with a grin. Quicksilver nodded and took off into the fray, easily knocking down Iceman. Rogue slipped into the shadows of the wall, and slowly made her way to the elevators. She pressed the button, and gave a small jump as it dinged open. No one seemed to notice. With a deep breath Rogue stepped inside and prepared herself for what she was about to do.

When the elevator dinged open, the Scarlet Witch glanced over suspiciously. But she couldn't see a thing. She turned away from Jean Grey who was breathing raggedly at the bottom of the staircase. The Scarlet Witch took cautious steps over to the elevator and peered inside, her hands glowing red. It was empty. As an afterthought she glanced upwards, but it was too late.

Rogue dropped down from the ceiling, tackling the Scarlet Witch to the ground, her bare fingers grabbing onto the witch's face. The Scarlet Witch gasped in pure surprise at being caught off guard, and then her look changed to one of horror as the Rogue drained her. With quick reflexes Scarlet Witch pushed Rogue off her and scrambled to her feet with a gasp of air.

"_How dare you!_" screeched the witch shrilly, clenching her fists tightly. Rogue cocked her head to one side thoughtfully after she got back on her feet. She felt a little woozy from the draining, but she refused to let it show. Rogue had a role to play. Both girls were glowing.

"That don't sound so good," murmured Toad glancing upwards toward the stairs. Nightcrawler nodded in agreement.

The mall began to shake, the tables in the food court rattling as store windows shattered into a million little pieces. The mutants on the ground level tumbled to the ground as the shaking intensified. A dark red glow seemed to filter down to the ground level before there was a loud boom. Suddenly the shaking had stopped. Both teams slowly got to their feet, eyeing the second floor carefully.

"Maybe the Rogue isn't as tough as you thought," smirked Mystique crossing her arms. Nightcrawler glanced over at his mother in time to see a small worry line crease her forehead.

"Wanna bet?" challenged Rogue appearing at the top of the stairs. The southern girl slowly made her way downstairs, eyeing everyone with a studied look.

"No way," breathed Avalanche. "There's no way in hell you could've beaten the Scarlet Witch."

Rogue shrugged nonchalantly as she reached the bottom of the escalators. "Everyone goes down after a drainin'."

Sabertooth snarled over at Mystique. "I thought you said the brat couldn't be beaten."

"Apparently I was wrong," replied Mystique softly.

"Never!" shouted the Scarlet Witch darkly.

Rogue turned to glance up at the Scarlet Witch with a frown. "Well then," she murmured to herself. "Ah guess it's time for the real fun ta begin."

"I will not be beaten by you!" The Scarlet Witch lifted her hands in the air, along with tables and chairs from the food court. Rogue narrowed her eyes, but didn't move an inch. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and eyed the other girl seriously. The Scarlet Witch practically howled as the tables and chairs clattered to the ground. Rogue still had control of the hex powers as well.

"Ah'd give up if Ah were you," said Rogue loud enough for all to hear.

"You're the one thing that stands in the way of my goal! I will never give up!" The Scarlet Witch raised her hands again, picking up everything, including glass, off the ground.

"Have it your way." Rogue also raised her hands in the air. Scarlet Witch felt the items under her control waver. Both girls were at a standstill as the items neither went forward of backwards. Then, at a slight nod from Quicksilver, Rogue relinquished control of the items and was running as fast as she could towards Scarlet Witch. Rogue dodged a chair and leapt atop a table as she hurled herself at Scarlet Witch, knocking the other girl to the ground.

"We cahn do this over ahn over again, sugah," hissed Rogue. "But admit it, ya cahn't beat meh today. Maybe if Ah hadn't drained part of ya…but it's a little late for that now, isn't it?"

"I want to kill my father," snapped Scarlet Witch acerbically.

"Yeah, just like Ah wanna kill mah mother."

"I need Mystique to get to my father."

"Just like Ah need your father ta kill Mystique," shot back Rogue. "If you wanna kill your father—that's fine by meh, but Ah need him for a little while. You cahn have him just as soon as he gives meh mah dues."

"He tried to kill you—Mystique told me that much," muttered Scarlet Witch as she and Rogue pushed themselves into a standing position.

"We aren't that different, you ahn meh. We've both been abandoned by our parents—ahn we both want revenge. But neither of us will get our revenge unless we work together."

"How so?"

"Ah'll leave Mystique alone for a while as long as you promise not ta kill your old man the second he's outta jail," replied Rogue.

Scarlet Witch narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms dubiously. "Why should I trust you?"

"You shouldn't. You need Mystique ahn Ah need Mags. Ah want control of mah life."

"You won't get that working for my father."

Rogue shrugged. "Maybe not, but Ah wasn't plannin' ohn workin' for him for long. Ah'm not part of the Brotherhood, ahn Ah'm sure as hell not part of the X-Men, Ah don't belong anywhere. Ah want revenge same as you. Mystique is only one part of that revenge Ah want. Mags isn't gonna get away so easily for tryin' ta kill meh. Ah've got plans for him…big ones."

"You have an agenda," stated Scarlet Witch quietly. She pursed her lips thoughtfully. "You're stringing everyone along."

"You have no idea, sugah."

"You're going to need my help."

"Only if ya agree ta back off for a while."

Scarlet Witch thought for moment. "Alright," she conceded. "From now on you and I are on the same side. I won't kill Magneto until you've pulled off your charade, as long as you don't kill Mystique until Magneto is out of jail."

"It's a deal." Rogue stuck out her hand, and the Scarlet Witch took it, cementing their deal. "Take your boys back ta the boarding house, Ah've gotta deal with Mystique ahn the other side of our team."

The Scarlet Witch nodded shortly and the two girls made their way down the escalator steps.

"What just happened?" asked Iceman scratching his head in surprise.

"I have no idea. Did anyone hear what they were saying?" Cyclops glanced over at Jean who shook her head no.

Wolverine growled. "Damn kid just stopped the whole battle. By talkin'. I didn't think anyone could stop somethin' like that with a few words."

"Except maybe killing someone off by having them listen to Kitty non-stop," giggled Boom-Boom. "You guys shoulda known better than to underestimate Rogue."

Rogue stopped short upon reaching the bottom of the stairs. Her eyes darkened in anger. "Where the hell is she?" demanded the southerner icily. Her eyes followed Sabertooth's finger to the mall entrance. Mystique was gone. With an unreadable look Rogue stalked out of the mall with Sabertooth and Gambit unobtrusively hot on her heels. The Scarlet Witch was already gathering the Brotherhood together.

The X-Men watched in stunned silence as the Brotherhood drifted out the entrance as well. Finally Cyclops asked the question foremost on everyone's minds. "What the hell just happened here?"

"I have no clue, but do you think someone should go after Rogue—I mean, just in case she's in danger?" muttered Nightcrawler with a quaver in his voice.

Wolverine shook his head. "Nah, she ain't gonna find Mystique anyway. Let her cool off before she comes back home."

"If you say so," said Nightcrawler mournfully. Iceman clapped the blue mutant on the back comfortingly.

"We should probably all get home," replied Iceman with a yawn. "We're all gonna be as sore as hell tomorrow."

Meanwhile, Rogue was still walking at a furious pace, not bothering to see who was following her. Mystique had snuck away again. Like a damn snake. And Rogue was getting sick and tired of it.

"Uh, chère, don' ya think you should slow down?" called out Gambit with a crease in his forehead.

"Can't keep up, Swamp Rat?" tossed back Rogue pausing on a street corner.

"Non, I jus' t'ink you're gonna make yourself sick tryin' ta run afta the evil blue woman," replied Gambit cheekily.

Rogue snorted. "Fuck off. Where the hell did she go? Ah have business ta take care of."

"You can't kill her," pointed out Sabertooth with a low growl. "We need her."

"Ah know that, but Ah wanted ta let her know that screwin' up mah plans isn't in her best interests."

"It isn't, huh?" Mystique materialized out of the shadows and stood before Rogue with a blank face. "You handled yourself well today. I don't know how you did it, but somehow you gained control of _my_ team."

"They've never been your team, Mystique," scoffed Rogue crossing her arms. "Ahn cahn ya blame them for wantin' out of all your crazy shit? You're not makin' it easy for them ta stay in one piece. Throwin' 'em at the X-Men like they cahn actually beat 'em? You suck at bein' in charge, that's for damn sure."

"I didn't ask for your opinion," snarled Mystique.

"No, but maybe ya should have. Look, we need ta work together. We're all ohn the same side."

Mystique made a face. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Sabertooth took a step forward. "She's working for Magneto, too."

"You've got to be kidding me." Mystique shot quizzical look at Rogue. "You're helping out the same man who tried to kill you?"

"Guess Ah really am your daughter, huh? The crazy part had ta come from you." Rogue blew out a frustrated breath. "Look, Ah'm doin' this for mah own reasons—none of which are any of your business, got it? Ah still hate ya, Mystique, but Ah'm willin' ta work with ya for a while until the boss is outta jail. But after that all bets are off."

"I don't like it. You don't trust me, and I don't trust you," said Mystique after a bout of silence.

Rogue shrugged. "Then Ah guess it's a good thing we ain't takin' orders from each other, isn't it?"

"Speaking of orders," started Sabertooth, "Magneto wants Rogue and Gambit to infiltrate a military compound a couple of miles south of Bayville. He has a feeling there's something going on down there regarding mutants that the government doesn't know about."

"Why the hell do I hafta get paired up with the femme petite? I didn't sign on for baby-sittin'," muttered Gambit making a face.

Rogue glared at him. "Then don't act like a baby, sugah. Ah don't have time ta watch ahn make sure ya don't screw up."

"Brilliant," sighed Mystique rubbing her forehead wearily. "Magneto just had to pair them up—they won't get out of the compound alive. They'll alert everyone within a thirty foot radius they're there with all their bickering."

"What the boss says goes," cut in Sabertooth gruffly. "We need to work together to pull this off, got it?"

Rogue and Gambit grudgingly nodded in agreement. Rogue chewed on her lip thoughtfully. "Does anyone know anythin' 'bout a prophecy?"

Mystique's head shot in Rogue's direction. "Where did you hear anything about a prophecy?"

"It's complicated…Ah asked Caliban 'bout it ahn he said he'd check into it for meh." Rogue took a deep breath upon seeing all three pairs of eyes on her. "It has somethin' ta do with the way Ah lost control last week…Ah kinda took someone's powers that are…questionable."

"Fuck." Mystique brought a hand to her chin anxiously. "I thought Destiny had been wrong about that one…damn it all to hell. I'll see what she remembers about it—see if it applies to recent events. Do you wish to share which mutant it was that you can't seem to control in that mind of yours?"

"Jean Grey."

Mystique nodded sharply. "That's what I was afraid of. Whatever you do, stay away from her. I don't remember much from the prophecy, but I do remember that the dark spirit is not a friendly one. Does Xavier know about it?"

Rogue shook her head. Mystique muttered under her breath. "Alright," continued the shape shifter seriously. "Don't do anything to piss off Grey. That prophecy is important—but it's flexible. It'll shape itself to comply with present events, and that's all we need is for you to somehow get sucked into it, Rogue."

"Then it's really serious?" questioned Rogue. "It's somethin' dangerous?"

"It's almost as dangerous as the end of the world."

Gambit grumbled. "I didn't sign up for da end of the world."

Sabertooth shook his head. "It won't come to that as long as we stick to the plan."

Rogue nodded along glumly, not paying much attention as Sabertooth and Mystique discussed escape plans for Magneto. It was all becoming too much for her to handle.

It was late by the time Rogue returned to the mansion. She paused long enough to see Logan sitting on the porch smoking a cigar. "Where've you been?" he asked.

"Wanderin'," replied Rogue softly.

Logan snorted. "Don't lie to me."

"Ah ain't."

"Don't shit around with me, Rogue. I'm not stupid. You don't think I didn't notice how Sabby and Gumbo followed you out of the mall today? You don't think I can't smell them and Mystique on you? What the hell have you gotten yourself into?"

Rogue shrank back at the tone of his voice. "N-nothin'," she stammered.

Logan rose to his feet, easily towering over the southern mutant. "I don't have a problem slicin' you up if it turns out you're the enemy, Stripes. Don't play dumb with me. Something's going on—and when I find out what it is I'm gonna make you pay. Nothing good ever comes from being a traitor, got that?"

Rogue nodded meekly. Logan studied her carefully before turning and entering the mansion. The second the door slammed shut Rogue dropped to her knees, staring blankly at the ground. She had thought she had been careful. She had thought no one would ever notice. But she was wrong. Oh so very wrong.

**A/N: Alright, I'm not sure I really like how this chapter turned out, but I'm too lazy to go back and change part of the plot. So hopefully it'll work out in the end. Oh, and I really do apologize on the way I portrayed Wanda. I REALLY didn't like that. So I'm sorry if this chapter seems way off…I'll try and get another one out this weekend, but if I don't it's because I got waylaid with all my scholarship forms. Thanks for being patient with me. **


	36. Foreshadowing

**Disclaimer: I don't own this stuff.**

**35-Foreshadowing**

When Rogue walked into the kitchen the next morning she dutifully ignored Logan's eyes. She hadn't slept well. Her mind had been too busy thinking and rethinking many things over again. Rogue needed to get Logan to see her as part of the team. She would have to try harder now to prove she was an X-Man. Even if it was temporary.

Of course, with her planning Rogue was not prepared for what she saw in the kitchen. Warren was sitting in the spot generally reserved for Kurt. The rich teen glanced up when Rogue halted in her tracks and offered her a large grin.

"Hey, Rogue. I was wondering when you were going to be coming down for breakfast."

Rogue nodded speechlessly. "What…what are you doin' here?" she asked slowly resuming her movement towards her seat.

"I've been doing a lot of thinking lately…and I made a few major decisions about my life. I finally told my dad that I'm a mutant—and then he promptly disowned me. So I'm here until I can get a hold of a new path in life," replied Warren with a small shrug.

Rogue was silent as she took the empty seat beside him. She wasn't sure she could deal with this. On her other side Bobby was stabbing his sausage with a fork and scowling at Warren.

"Can we talk?" murmured Warren in Rogue's ear. Rogue nodded silently and stood up to follow him out the back door. She could hear the whispers from the rest of the table as the door shut behind her.

"Ah'm sorry things didn't work out with your father," said Rogue softly as she and Warren aimlessly wandered the back yard.

"I shouldn't say that I'm surprised he acted the way that he did. Especially since the death of Senator Kelly—he hasn't been the same since. But getting kicked out is only part of why I'm back, Rogue. I've missed you."

"Warren…Ah don't know if Ah wanna talk 'bout us. Ah've got a lot ohn mah plate right now."

"Maximoff?"

Rogue shook her head. "Ah haven't been workin' ohn that one," she admitted. "Ah don't think Ah will. He's a great friend, just like you. Ah don't know if Ah'm ready for a relationship anymore. It's too complicated with mah powers ahn all."

Warren sighed. "Rogue, I wish you wouldn't push me away like this. I have a feeling that's what ended you and Lance. You shouldn't be afraid to care for someone."

"But what's the point of carin' if Ah cahn't be with that person? Warren, look at meh! Ah'm a walkin' curse! Ah'll never be able ta touch without hurting someone!" snapped Rogue as she halted in her tracks.

"Love can conquer everything."

"Love is a little over the top, don't ya think? Ah don't want love. Ah want a normal life. Ah want ta go back to the way things were before Ah was a mutant. Ah don't want _this_—any of this!" Rogue turned on her heels and headed back towards the kitchen. She flung the back door open and breezed by her housemates without a word. Behind her she could hear Warren calling her name, but Rogue kept walking.

She took the stairs two at a time and entered her room, locking the door behind her. Rogue paced in front of the door, her forehead creased deep in thought. She had already ended things with Warren—and now she needed to end them with Pietro. She knew that relationship wasn't going anywhere, especially not after Pietro and Scott's little fight in the cafeteria earlier that week. And Warren…she didn't deserve him.

With a deep breath Rogue headed out onto the balcony and glanced down at the ground below. She eyed the large tree branch that reached towards the balcony. Rogue didn't allow herself to think things through as she swung her legs over the balcony edge and stood on the other side. With one hand still clutching the balcony Rogue extended her other hand towards the branch. She could barely reach it.

Rogue extended herself a little further towards the tree and felt her other hand losing grip on the balcony. Just as she thought she was going to fall Rogue felt a strong hand grab her arm and pull her up onto the branch. Blinking in surprise Rogue came face to face with none other than the mutant known as Gambit.

"What are you doin' here?" she demanded acerbically.

"Savin' your life apparently," replied Remy smoothly.

Rogue made a face. "Ah was doin' perfectly fine, thank-ya very much."

"'Course y'were, chère. You was only gettin' ready ta learn how ta fly, non?"

"Stupid Cajun. Why don't ya tell meh why you're really here."

Remy raised an eyebrow in mock surprise. "Don't tell me da petite don't remember our lil date with the military compound?"

"We never set a time."

"It's a Saturday. I didn't s'pose ya had anythin' better t'do with your day."

"You're makin' it real hard for meh ta not just smack ya outta this tree," said Rogue glaring at Remy. The Cajun shrugged and turned to climb down.

"Come on den, chère, we've got a long journey ahead o' us."

"Mags owes meh one," muttered Rogue as she too began to climb down the tree. "How come the sensors haven't noticed ya ohn the grounds yet?" she questioned suspiciously.

"Prolly 'cause I took de liberty o' takin' a vital piece of de outside sensors away." Remy pulled a small chip out of his coat pocket and flashed it at Rogue.

"Forget Ah even asked." Rogue shook her head and followed Remy as he led her to the far wall on the mansion grounds. He nimbly lifted himself up to the top of the stone wall and reached a hand down to Rogue. She allowed herself to be pulled up to the top, and together the two mutants leapt down to the other side.

Parked beside the wall was Sabertooth's vehicle. Rogue darted another suspicious look at Remy. "Whiskers actually let you borrow his vehicle?"

"I'm sure he would 'ave had he known we was goin' on de mission today," was Remy's offhand remark.

"Ah'm gonna get mahself killed by pure stupidity. Mystique's right, there's no way we're gonna be able ta accomplish our mission without killin' each other. You're a damn fool!"

"Sticks an' stones, chère. Remember dat."

Rogue bit back her remark as she got into the SUV. She didn't have time to argue. Sooner or later someone would notice that she was gone, and Rogue really didn't want to be seen taking off with Gambit. Not only would Logan kill her, but it would probably ruin her reputation. Or whatever was left of it anyway.

"Lets just get this damn thing over with, Swamp Rat. Ah don't wanna spend mah whole day with you."

"Whatever y'say, chère."

"Ahn stop callin' meh that!"

**Back Inside the Mansion:**

Scott cleared his throat nervously as he entered the living room of the mansion. Sitting on the couch, fully engrossed in a book, was Jean. Scott took a tentative step forward, and then another until he was standing beside the couch. Jean glanced up with a twinkle in her eye.

"Um, well you see, I was um…well, I was…that is…would you like to go out some time…like on a, uh, date?" stammered Scott.

Jean stifled a giggle. "I would love to."

"Really?"

"Really."

Scott looked ready to say more when Nightcrawler teleported into the room. The German teen had a forlorn look on his face as he dropped onto the couch beside Jean.

Jean offered Kurt a small smile as she spoke. "What's wrong, Kurt?"

"Everything. Amanda and I still can't talk to each other, and she doesn't want to leave the house this weekend. I think we're over for good," sighed Kurt.

"I think you and Amanda have a long way to go before you're over. Scott thinks so too, don't you, Scott?"

Scott rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Yeah," he murmured.

Kurt gave another sigh. "Thanks for trying, guys. I was really looking for Rogue, but I can't find her anywhere, and then I tried looking for Kitty, but she's gone too." With that Kurt was gone in puff of smoke.

Jean made a face at Scott. "You could have been a little more cheerful with your reply," she pointed out.

"But I kind of think that Kurt and Amanda are over—she hasn't been trying to connect with him since her parents found out he's a mutant. Sure Amanda doesn't mind mutants, but you can't really expect a teen girl to drop everyone and everything she knows for some boy, can you?" replied Scott.

"No, but it's not a good idea to let Kurt mope around dwelling on that fact. He needs some encouragement. This is a big deal to him. He really likes Amanda."

Scott threw his arms up in the air. "Yeah, but I thought he had really liked Kitty too—and they broke up!"

Jean giggled. "You're horrible at this, you know that?" she asked.

"Thanks for pointing that out to me." Scott shook his head with a trace of a smile on his face. "Are you doing anything tonight?"

**Meanwhile at the Park:**

Kitty paced in front of the swing set, waiting for Lance to arrive. She had done a lot of thinking since her conversation with Rogue the other day. And she had finally arrived at a major decision.

"You wanted to meet?" asked Lance joining Kitty.

The brunette glanced up and offered Lance a small smile. "Yeah."

"It's about us, isn't it?"

"Yeah. I don't think it's going to work. We're too different, Lance. I believe in everything that Professor Xavier has taught me…and you believe in what Magneto has taught you. Rogue pointed out to me that you and I are always going to be on opposite sides. I didn't want to believe her, but I guess I don't have much of a choice anymore."

Lance sighed and plopped down in a swing. "Things are changing, Kitty. The world is changing, and not for the better. Humans are never going to accept us."

"But I think one day they will," murmured Kitty as she sat in a swing as well.

Lance chuckled dryly. "I guess we really are different. So it's over now."

"Yeah, it is." Kitty took a deep breath as she got to her feet. "You do know that you guys are always welcome to join the X-Men don't you?"

"I'll keep that in mind," said Lance with a nod. Kitty smiled and began walking back towards the mansion. Lance stood up and headed back to where he had parked his jeep. He grinned at Tabitha who was playing with the stereo.

"How'd the break up go?" questioned Tabitha without bothering to look up at Lance as he got into the jeep.

"Fine—how'd you know she was gonna dump me?"

Tabitha snorted. "She finally came to terms with the fact that you weren't gonna switch sides for her sake. Well that and I think she still has a thing for the fuzzy elf."

"Fuzzy elf?" repeated Lance.

"Kurt. Kitty totally stopped talking to Piotr after Amanda and Kurt broke up again."

"My competition was that little fur ball—and not the giant?"

Tabitha laughed at the look on Lance's face. "Cheer up, Lance. I'll let you buy me a late breakfast."

Lance shook his head, but started up the jeep. "Well if you're gonna be like that I know a nice little café downtown."

**Westchester Military Compound:**

Rogue was deathly silent as she and Remy hid behind the side of a building, waiting for a pair of soldiers to pass by. The second the soldiers were past them Remy made his way over to the back door and pulled it open before it could shut so Rogue to slip through. Rogue glanced both ways down the hall and then motioned for Remy to follow her.

"What is it we're lookin' for?" whispered Remy as they passed by several closed doors.

"Ah'm not sure." The pair continued walking down the hallway when footsteps could be heard heading their way. Rogue glanced around wildly, but there was nowhere to hide. Remy quickly opened the nearest door and breathed in relief when all he found was a janitor's closet. He pulled Rogue inside the closet with him and then closedthe door so that there was only a crack to peer out of.

A woman in a dark grey pants suit passed the doorway, her heels clicking against the polished linoleum floor. She didn't look anywhere but straight ahead, her bright brown eyes shining from behind a pair of eyeglasses, and her dark black hair coiled up in a bun. As the woman passed by Remy slid the door open a bit wider so he and Rogue could see which door the woman disappeared into. Rogue mentally noted the door as Remy shut it closed.

It was almost an hour later when they heard the woman's heels clicking as she passed the doorway again. Remy silently opened the door and peered around it before ushering Rogue out of the closet. With soft steps the two made their way over to the door that the woman had gone into an hour earlier.

Inside was a small office. There was a computer humming away on the desk, and various stacks of paper piled up beside the computer. Rogue made her way over to the desk and slipped into the seat as she moved the mouse.

"Hurry up," said Remy as he leaned against the door.

"Ah just got here, Swamp Rat."

"All the same, hurry up, chère. I don' wanna be here when Heels gets back. She don' look like someone t' mess wit."

"Keep talkin', sugah, ahn Ah'll make sure ya don't leave this place alive." Rogue eye's darted back to the computer screen as she clicked on a file sitting on the desktop. What opened up made her eyes widen in pure surprise.

"You've gotta be shittin' meh," she murmured. Instantly Remy was at her side peering over her shoulder at the screen. It was a list of names. Names of mutants from all across the world.

"I don' like it when people 'ave my name," muttered Remy pointing at his name on the screen. Rogue nodded apprehensively. She quickly clicked on the print button, and listened to the whir of the printer as it warmed up. Then she clicked on another file. One titled Cerebro.

"Oh boy…this ain't good." Rogue visibly slumped in her seat as blueprints of Xavier's mansion filtered onto the screen.

"Who the hell has info'mation like this?" breathed Remy making a face.

"Someone who wants a war Ah s'pose. Look ahn see if ya cahn figure out whose office this is." Rogue clicked on the print button for the second file as well as Remy began to rifle through the contents of the room.

"Y' know a man named Stryker?" asked Remy after a minute.

"No."

"My guess is this is his office. Ahn that woman in heels—I t'ink she's a mutant."

"What makes ya say that?" questioned Rogue with a frown.

"Only da fact dat a man named Stryker has a whole file 'ere 'bout someone named Yuriko Oyama—an' she sounds an awful lot like a female version of Wolverine." Remy held out the file to Rogue who quickly scanned the contents.

"Take it," she said. "If there's another Logan walkin' around it'd be in our best interests ta know 'bout her. No one will notice the file's missin' until we're long gone."

"I hope not, chère, 'cause our lady in heels is headed back this way." Remy turned and looked around the office as Rogue grabbed all the paperwork she had printed off the computer. "An' I know jus' the way out o' here."

Rogue watched as Remy knelt down beside a large vent in the wall and popped off the cover. Rogue groaned as she knelt down beside him. This wasn't the way out she had wanted. With a grumble Rogue crawled far enough into the vent so that Remy could fit as well. The Cajun nimbly pulled the cover shut just as the door to the office swung open. The two mutants held their breaths as the woman, Yuriko, took a seat at the desk.

Two hours passed, and Rogue felt as though she was losing her mind. Her legs were cramped from their tight quarters, and her head was spinning. All she could smell was Remy, who seemed to smell like a mixture of whiskey and cigarettes at the moment. Remy wasn't fairing any better either. He had spent the last two hours quietly cutting a deck of cards over and over again. And he was starting to hate the smell of vanilla.

Another hour passed and found the two mutants playing a silent game of War with the cards. Then, all of a sudden, Yuriko stood up and left the office. Remy gathered his cards together and pushed the vent open again. He crawled out and waited for Rogue to get out as well. Both were sore.

"Next time we go on a mission, chère, remind me t' bring a book," mumbled Remy as he shut the vent closed.

"Next time? There ain't gonna be a next time. Ah ain't goin' ohn any more missions with you, Swamp Rat," replied Rogue as she stretched lazily. Remy narrowed his eyes at the southern girl but kept his mouth shut as he followed Rogue out of the office, stuffing the papers they had found in the pockets of his trench coat. They turned to head back to the door they had entered the compound through when they heard a shout.

Turning around Remy took out his bo-staff and whirled it in his hands. "Looks like we got comp'ny, chère."

"Then Ah hope ya cahn handle 'em 'cause we got company ohn the other side as well," replied Rogue with tight lips.

"I always up for a challenge." With that Remy headed forward towards the advancing soldiers at a brisk walk. "Hope y' boys came pr'pared," he muttered with a lazy grin. The Cajun set himself into motion using his bo-staff and legs to knock the soldiers around.

"Show-off," muttered Rogue to herself. She turned her attention in the other direction where four soldiers were eyeing her suspiciously.

"Stop where you are! You're trespassing on government property!" called out one of the soldiers boldly.

"Sugah, you have no idea who you're talkin' to." Rogue was moving before the men could even blink. She brought a leg up and performed a round house kick to one of the men's heads, knocking him to the ground. Another man reached to grab Rogue by the shoulders, but the teen girl easily dodged his arms and punched him in the gut. As he doubled over in pain Rogue hit the back of his head with an elbow, knocking him down as well. One of the other men threw a punch her way but Rogue blocked it and punched him in the jaw. He fell back stunned just as Rogue grabbed his rifle and hit him over the head with it.

"Stop or I'll shoot," ordered the last man standing. Rogue blew out a frustrated breath and turned to face the soldier who had his rifle pointed at her.

"I t'ink dat be a very bad idea, homme," said Remy. Rogue glanced over the shoulder of the soldier where Remy stood with his hands slung over the staff on his shoulders.

"No body moves or I'll shoot." The soldier took a deep breath as he ignored Remy's warning.

"Dat be your loss den, mon ami." Remy deftly pulled out a playing card from his pocket and held it up in his hands. Rogue watched as the card seemed to light up a red color before it was flicked at the feet of the soldier. The soldier glanced down briefly at the same time that Rogue did. Rogue felt the wind knocked out of her as Remy slammed into her, knocking her to the ground. A small explosion rocked the hallway.

Remy scrambled back to his feet and pulled Rogue up. The soldier who had been pointing a gun at her was now unconscious after being thrown backwards into the air.

"That's why ya play with cards?" demanded Rogue. "So ya cahn just blow 'em up later? Boy, you need a hobby."

"Is dere a reason y' don' like t' t'ank me whenever I save your life?" shot back Remy.

"No one's countin', Swamp Rat."

"Dat was the third time, chère. Y' owe me one."

"Send meh a card. C'mon, let's get outta here." Rogue led the way further down the hall until they came across a large set of doors. Rogue peered through the windows and had to bite her tongue from shouting out in glee. "Ah think Ah found us a getaway, sugah."

Remy peered through the windows as well and frowned. "I don' see nothin', chère. Just some mutant in water."

"That, Swamp Rat, is Juggernaut." Rogue pushed open the double doors and made her way over to the holding cell that Juggernaut was in. She glanced at it carefully and then turned to glance over at the controls on the side of the cell. Rogue studied the three buttons and finally pushed one. Remy watched suspiciously as the water drained out of the cell.

Juggernaut's eyes flew open and locked onto Rogue. The southern teen pressed another button labeled as speaker and began to talk. "Ah'm gonna let ya out, sugah, but ohn two conditions. One, ya don't kill meh like ya tried ta do last time; ahn two, you work for meh."

"Why should I?" snapped Juggernaut darkly.

Rogue shrugged. "Ah don't have a problem leavin' ya here, sugah. Ah'm not the one locked up—you are."

"I don't trust you."

"Fine, stay here for the rest of your life. It's your loss." Rogue turned to leave when she heard Juggernaut calling her name. Rogue turned back and raised an eyebrow at the large mutant.

"You win. I don't wanna spend the rest of my life as a lab rat in this dump."

"That's what Ah thought." Rogue pressed the last button on the panel and watched as the cell door swung open. Juggernaut stepped out and grabbed his helmet out of Remy's hands. The Cajun had found it as he had entered the lab.

"So what do you want me to do? It better not be anything stupid, kid, or I'll kill you. This is the second time you've let me out though. I owe you something." Juggernaut set about putting on his helmet.

Rogue rolled her eyes. "Ah just want ya ta remember that ya owe meh. But Ah don't have anythin' planned at the moment. It'd probably be better if ya left town for a while. Ah think the government's gettin' ready ta attack the X-Men. It's too risky ta stick around Bayville now. Just keep an eye out ohn the news."

"That's it?" asked Remy. "Y' let da big guy out jus' so he can stay in touch? I t'ink you're crazy, chère."

"Shut up, Swamp Rat. Do we have a deal, Juggernaut?" Rogue turned back to the Juggernaut. The large mutant gave a sigh and nodded. He was a man of his word; he wouldn't kill the Rogue—if only because she seemed to have a knack for getting him out of government hands.

Remy snorted. "Fine, can we get outta here now? I don' wanna be hangin' around when more of dem soldier boys decide t' show up."

"How 'bout it, Juggernaut, d'ya think ya cahn get us outta here?" asked Rogue. Juggernaut nodded and walked over to the nearest wall. With a loud cry he brought his foot down onto the wall and outside. Rogue and Remy watched from a few feet away as the overgrown mutant tore a hold though the wall. Juggernaut continued walking through the base with Remy and Rogue right behind him as soldiers began to scramble for their weapons.

As Juggernaut tossed a jeep up over his head and on top of another jeep, Remy turned to Rogue. "Why aren't y' gonna make da big guy work for Magneto?"

"Ya have a lot ta learn, Swamp Rat. Magneto cahn't be trusted. It's as simple as that," stated Rogue.

"Then why are y' workin' for him?"

"It's a little thing Ah like ta call revenge."

Remy shook his head. "Mebbe I was wrong. Y' ain't crazy—jus' too smart for your own damn good."

"You cahn call meh whatever ya want, Swamp Rat, just as long as ya keep it to yourself," replied Rogue smugly.

"An' what's in it for me?"

"A painless death."

"Y' wound me, chère. I'll t'ink 'bout it an' let y' know how y' can pay me back."

"Be still mah beatin' heart."

**Mansion:**

Rogue breathed in relief as Remy pulled up in front of the mansion gates. She had never been so relieved to see the mansion before in her life. It had been pure hell trying to get out of the compound in one piece. Juggernaut had been a one man army tossing tanks and jeeps left and right, while Remy had done his part throwing around kinetically charged cards.

"Alright, petite. Y' can take your copies an' I'll take mine," said the Cajun handing Rogue her stack of the stolen papers. They had stopped at a local post office and gotten copies of the folders they had found in Stryker's office. Rogue figured she could use them to prove to Logan she really wasn't the enemy.

"D'ya think the president is really gonna give his okay for the attack?" asked Rogue quietly.

Remy shrugged. "I don' know, but if they do den it ain't gonna be safe in Bayville anymore. Y' might wanna t'ink 'bout skipping town."

Rogue nodded absently as she got out of the jeep. She watched Remy drive away before pushing the gates open and walking up the dark walkway. Rogue glimpsed lights seeping out of closed curtains, indicating that despite the late hour people were still awake. As Rogue entered the mansion she heard the sound of a television coming from the living room. She tucked her papers under her arm and slunk towards the sound.

Logan was the only one in the room when Rogue came to stand in the doorway. His eyes were glued to the late evening news showing scenes of the destroyed compound. Rogue steeled herself for the lecture that was bound to come.

Logan didn't disappoint her. "I hope you had fun with your friends today, Stripes. It looks like a fuckin' war zone."

With a closed mouth Rogue walked into the room and plopped down her packet of papers in Logan's lap.

"What's this?" demanded the older mutant gruffly.

"There are reasons why Ah've been workin' with them. They're the only ones willin' ta see the truth for what it really is. D'ya really think you're ohn the right side? D'ya think any of us are safe here anymore? Ah'm only lookin' out for mah best interests, Logan. Maybe the X-Men should do the same thing." With a small shake of her head Rogue turned and walked away, leaving Logan behind in a slightly befuddled state.

Logan glanced back down at the papers in his lap and shifted through them curiously. His face tightened at what he found. Looking back at the television briefly Logan got to his feet and headed down the hallway to Xavier's office.

Everything was changing.

**A/N—In the midst of all my scholarship essays this weekend I finally broke away and wrote this chapter out. It didn't turn out quite the way I had expected it to, but it works. I've outlined a lot of the story, so I know exactly where I'm going with this thing. It's just a matter of finding some time to write the chapters out. Thanks for sticking with the story this long. **


	37. Verona

**Disclaimer: Not mine.**

**36-Verona**

Professor Xavier sighed as he propped his chin in his hands. Logan had left hours ago to try and rest, but Xavier couldn't rest. His mind was in shock with this latest turn of events. Juggernaut was loose again; the military, led by one William Stryker, was gearing up for an attack on the mansion; and it seemed Rogue was still very much part of the enemy. It was almost more than the greatest mutant mind in the world could handle.

Glancing down at his desk, Xavier once again studied the papers he had been given. Lists of mutants worldwide; blueprints of the mansion; and a file on a mutant working with Stryker. Sitting before him was the truth. Xavier closed his eyes.

How had he been so wrong? How did he not see what had been in front of him for so long? Why had he thought that Stryker would give up so easily? Why hadn't he considered Stryker a threat before now?

"Too many questions," murmured Xavier to himself. He turned his wheelchair around to stare outside. The sky was beginning to lighten; a soft pink was tinting the horizon. It was the start of a new day. Xavier turned around again when he heard the door open. Despite the fact that he hadn't been expecting anyone he immediately knew who it was.

"Come in," said Xavier waving Rogue forward. The southern girl stepped into the office, closing the door behind her. She moved across the carpet and took a seat in one of the chairs before his desk.

Xavier studied Rogue closely. She didn't seem to waver under his scrutiny. The white stripes stood out in her brown hair. Her green eyes looked older than she really was. Rogue had been through a lot since she had developed her powers, and now Xavier was beginning to see the effects it had had on her.

Rogue was no longer an innocent girl. She had become hardened through battle—both inner and outer. She had been hurt deeply by the ones she had trusted, and as a result she trusted no one but herself these days. Rogue had grown up too fast. She had lost her entire world with no one there to help her.

Xavier partly blamed himself for this. He had let Rogue go with Mystique to the Brotherhood. He hadn't tried to help her enough. He had left her on her own to choose her own path. For the first time in his life Xavier felt as though he had failed his cause.

"Ah'm hopin' the old man gave ya the papers," murmured Rogue breaking the silence.

"Indeed, he did. Would you care to tell me how exactly you came across these items?"

Rogue shrugged. "It wasn't easy, that's for sure. Look, we both know Ah'm not here to apologize or get a lecture. Ah want ta know how dangerous this guy really is. He's got names of every mutant in the world. Ah didn't think anyone had information like that. Especially not some mutant hater in the government."

"I have gone through the papers, but I do not believe they name every mutant world wide. I think it is a list of possible mutants. William Stryker does not have the authority, or the technology to find every single mutant in the world. However, he is a threat…a large one by the looks of things," replied Xavier as his eyes darted down to the papers again.

"So ya know who he is."

"His son is a mutant…or was. I don't know where Jason is now, but Stryker never forgave me for not being able to find a cure for Jason."

"Are they gonna attack us?" asked Rogue softly. Xavier looked into her eyes and saw true fear staring back at him.

He said, "I don't know. He would need approval from the president. What I can't understand is how Stryker was able to gather blueprints of the mansion." Xavier's words trailed off as he shuffled through the paperwork.

Rogue sighed. "No one else knows the mansion better than you ahn Magneto," she stated. "Mags is locked up, Professor, but that doesn't mean people cahn't visit him. Ah did. If the government really considered Mags a threat they wouldn't have been so lax in the visitor department."

Xavier looked up. "Yes…I guess I have underestimated you, Rogue. You're a complex young woman. Why work with Magneto—even after the way he used you?"

Rogue's eyes lowered under the Professor's gaze. She pulled her legs up into the chair and wrapped her arms around them as she tried to put her answer into words. "Ah guess…because he needs meh. That, ahn he's the only one who cahn really protect meh."

"Rogue, the X-Men are a team…we protect all members of our team from harm."

"You say ya cahn, but Ah'm not sure y'all cahn match the likes of Mags. Humans don't trust mutants. Maybe one day they will…but d'ya think they'll ever accept someone like meh? Ah'm a walkin' curse, Professor. Ah don't even trust meh. Ah will never be able ta touch people…ahn even if your dream of peace came true…Ah'd still be the outcast. That's mah future, no matter what side Ah decide ta fight ohn. So why not get in a few hits while Ah cahn? Besides, what'll happen if Mags wins this war?"

"Do you know what he is planning, Rogue?" questioned the Professor knitting his eyebrows in worry.

"Ah don't think Mags even knows what he's plannin'. There's not much he cahn do from inside a jail cell," chuckled Rogue. "But is he the one ya should be worryin' 'bout? Ah think this Stryker fella is a little more dangerous…ahn a little more real. Mags ain't gettin' out anytime soon—that would be givin' Mystique too much credit."

"How much longer will it be, Rogue, before Magneto realizes that you're only out for revenge. I don't have to read your mind for that; I can see it in your eyes. Revenge isn't everything," pointed out Xavier calmly.

Rogue shook her head. "Ah wouldn't try ta figure meh out if Ah was you. Ah'm screwed up—there's nothin' anyone cahn do ta help meh now. Destiny seems ta think Ah'm important. Ah think Ah'm losin' mah mind. Ah'm not much use ta anyone right now. Ah cahn't do good. Ah've been tryin', but no matter what someone ends up gettin' hurt. How cahn Ah be good when all Ah cause is pain?"

"You have to believe in yourself, Rogue. You can accomplish many things if you only believe that you can. Eric was right about one thing, you _do _have the power to become one of the most powerful mutants in the world. I know it is not a comforting thought, but power is more than just strength and skill…it is also heart. No matter what happens in the future, Rogue, I want you to know that you will always be welcome with the X-Men. Whether you want to admit it or not, you have what it takes to be one of us."

Rogue nodded slowly as she got out of her seat. Her forehead crinkled in thought as she made her way to the door. She opened it and called back over her shoulder. "Ah'll stick around for awhile. Ah might be able ta help out if Stryker does come after y'all."

"Thank-you." Xavier watched as the door shut behind Rogue before returning his attention to the paperwork on his desk. There were still so many questions left unanswered, and if Xavier wanted to protect his students then he would have to talk to Eric Lensherr in person. But it would have to wait until later, for today was the Bayville High School Production of _Romeo and Juliet_.

**Breakfast at the Mansion**

Rogue glanced up from her spot at the table as the rest of the mansion filed in for breakfast. She had been sitting there since her conversation with the Professor. She had a funny feeling in the pit of her stomach that something was way off in the mansion, and she knew it didn't have anything to do with her loyalties. No, something else was wrong.

That something became quite apparent when she noticed the spot beside her empty. "Hey," started Rogue with a frown. "Where's Blue?"

"Huh?" asked St. John quizzically.

"She means Kurt," said Kitty. "I wanted to talk to him last night, but I couldn't find him."

Rogue glanced over at Jamie. "D'ya know where he is, squirt?"

Jamie shook his head. "He wasn't in our room when I woke up this morning. And I didn't hear him snoring last night."

The feeling in Rogue's stomach churned even more. She was out of her seat before her mind could comprehend what she was doing. Rogue was practically jogging upstairs with Kitty right behind her. Flinging the door open the two girls stopped short. The room was a mess, like always, but now it seemed virtually untouched by Kurt.

"No, no, no. C'mon, Blue, where are you?" muttered Rogue to herself. Her eyes fell on the open window as a soft breeze moved the curtains. Something was very wrong. With a sharp oath Rogue turned on her heels and brushed past Kitty. She took the stairs two at a time as she descended to the ground floor.

"Where are you going?" called out Kitty breathlessly as she tried to catch up. In the foyer were Scott, Xavier, Logan, Jean, and Storm.

"Ah'm finding Blue."

"Where are you gonna start looking?" demanded Scott.

Rogue rolled her eyes. "Ah have connections."

"You think they'll help you?" asked Logan doubtfully.

"Sugah, they hafta, they work for meh now."

"I don't know if we should make a big deal about this," started Jean. "I mean, Kurt's been off lately because of the break-up with Amanda. He's probably just taking some time alone."

Rogue shook her head, oddly keeping calm with the red head. "Look, ya want the truth? Ah've had a feeling since Ah got back last night that somethin' was wrong. Ah couldn't figure it out, but Ah think it has ta do with Kurt."

"What makes you think that?"

"The best excuse Ah cahn give ya is 'cause Kurt's mah brother. Ah know Ah haven't been very acceptin' of him lately, but it'll never change who he is. Kurt ahn Ah share the same blood. As much as Ah hate Mystique, Ah cahn't punish Kurt for it—he was born after meh." Rogue headed towards the doorway when Xavier's voice stopped her.

"Rogue, let me try Cerebro first. If I can't find him then you can do this your way."

"Fine." Rogue turned back around and followed Xavier to the elevator. Logan grunted and followed as well, motioning for the others to return to breakfast. The ride down to the sub-basement was silent. Rogue was chewing on a fingernail unconsciously while Logan leaned back against the elevator wall.

Xavier led Logan and Rogue out of the elevator and down the hallway towards Cerebro. Rogue was hesitant to follow the Professor inside Cerebro until she felt a comforting hand on her shoulder. Glancing up Rogue saw Logan giving her a reassuring nod. With a nod of her own Rogue and Logan entered Cerebro and the doorway shut behind them. Xavier put on the head gear linking him to Cerebro and extended his mind out across the world.

What he found shot his eyes wide open. He tore off the head gear and turned to look at Rogue and Logan gravely. "I couldn't pinpoint his location—wherever he is though, another mutant is controlling his mind."

"Who?" asked Rogue immediately.

Xavier took a deep breath. "He goes by the alias Mastermind, but I know him better as Jason Wyngarde. He has the ability to read and rewrite the memories of others."

"Then how the hell is he controlling Kurt?" snapped Logan gruffly.

Rogue answered softly. "Stryker. Ah shoulda known there was somethin' funny 'bout the way that mutant woman was workin' for him. No mutant, no matter what they believe, would ever work for a man like him. But how is he doin' it?"

"I don't know," said the Professor, "but either way he is a dangerous man that must be dealt with soon. As soon as the play is over this afternoon I will take Scott with me to talk with Eric. He may have the answers we seek."

"Why cahn't ya go now?" questioned Rogue. "Kurt needs us."

"I'm afraid Principal Kelly would notice if half the cast was missing for today's play," answered Xavier.

"Like it matters? Ah don't even know any of my lines!"

"I thought you said you had connections, Stripes," muttered Logan.

Rogue frowned. "Ah do…but if somethin' happens while we're doin' the play?"

"Have hope, Rogue. There is nothing we can do otherwise. I don't know where Kurt is. I don't know where Jason is. I don't know where Stryker is. We have nothing to go on but fear at the moment," replied the Professor softly. "Now, why don't you go and talk to your…connections?"

Rogue made a face as she turned to walk out of Cerebro. "Ah'll see y'all at school for the play this afternoon," she tossed back over her shoulder.

**Boarding House:**

Rogue pushed the front door of the boarding house open and stepped inside. Sabertooth looked up from his spot on the couch. He had a sour expression on his face, and Rogue could only figure it was from the man standing in front of him.

"What are y' doin' here, chère?" demanded Remy folding his arms across his chest.

Rogue smirked openly. Apparently she had interrupted an important conversation between the Cajun and Sabertooth. "Ah came ta ask ya a favor, Swamp Rat."

"Why should I? Y' owe me, remember?"

"A minor detail. Look, Ah need ya ta find someone for meh. It has ta do with the stuff we found last night."

Remy frowned. "I'm not sure I want t' do this…I t'ink we should all jus' leave town."

"He's my brother," said Rogue with a sigh.

Sabertooth was instantly alert. "The blue kid? What the hell happened?"

"Ah don't know, but he's missin', ahn when the professor tried lookin' for him all he found was Mastermind."

"Who?" asked Remy rubbing the back of his neck wearily.

"Stryker's son," replied Sabertooth with a low growl. "You better find the kid…if Stryker has him it means trouble."

"What kind o' trouble? He ain't dat dangerous is he, this kid?" murmured Remy.

Rogue shook her head. "Depends. Kurt's a teleporter—imagine the places he cahn go if Stryker is somehow controllin' him. It ain't good. None of this is good."

Remy nodded shortly. "Alright, I'll find 'im. He's the blue one? Da one dat looks like a demon out o' de storybooks?" At Rogue's nod Remy headed towards the door to grab his trench coat. "I'll be in touch, chère."

As soon as Remy was gone Sabertooth was on his feet. "Mystique is getting ready to let Magneto out," he said.

"Now?"

"Soon. She didn't say when, but she did leave again. I heard you gave the X-Men a copy of the papers you found yesterday." Sabertooth took a menacing step forward.

Rogue locked her jaw angrily. "What did ya want meh ta do? Let 'em all die without a fair warnin'? This Stryker guy is a mutual enemy. He has your name ohn that list too, Whiskers. He's got a lot of names ohn that list. After he kills the X-Men, who d'ya think will be next?" she challenged.

"Dammit, girl! Stop playing games!" cried out Sabertooth grabbing Rogue by the shoulders and giving her a shake. "You aren't supposed to care what happens to the X-Men—they're the enemy! Whose side are you ohn?"

"Let meh go!" shrieked Rogue. She kicked the tawny mutant in the shin and stumbled backwards as he let her go. "No mutant deserves ta die without a fair fight. Ah won't see the X-Men murdered in their sleep—Ah wouldn't even wish that ohn Mystique, ahn Gawd knows she deserves it!"

Sabertooth chuckled cynically. "You're a fucked up girl, you know that? You belong to Magneto for now…but just you wait. There's someone even more powerful than Magneto who wants you. You don't stand a chance."

"Ahn neither do you," hissed Rogue as she edged towards the front door. As Sabertooth burst into more laughter Rogue fled out the front door. Judging by the missing jeep in the driveway she knew the rest of the Brotherhood had to be at school, gearing up for the play.

**School:**

"Who the hell decided to put on a play on a fuckin' Sunday?" groaned Pietro as he slumped even lower in his chair backstage.

"The teach," grumbled Toad picking at the sleeve of his costume. He sat stiff backed against the auditorium wall beside Fred and Lance. Wanda was already seated in the audience, simply because she didn't have a part and didn't want one.

"This is a load of crap," said Lance darkly. He clammed up and scowled as the X-Men began to arrive backstage. It didn't take long for the drama teacher, Mrs. Moltby, to hand out the costumes.

"Where's Rogue?" asked Fred curiously as the X-Men dispersed to change into their costumes for the play.

Pietro frowned. "That's a good question."

Almost five minutes later their question was answered when Rogue burst through the door backstage out of breath. Mrs. Moltby squeaked in a mixture of surprise and relief as she handed the southern girl her costume. Rogue glared at it, but reluctantly went to change.

Tabitha emerged in her costume and bolted over to Lance's side. She crouched down beside the Brotherhood with an anxious look on her face. "You won't believe what happened this morning. Kurt's missing. As in kidnapped type of missing."

"What?" questioned Toad quizzically.

"No one's seen him since before last night, and Rogue totally freaked over it. She's pissed. She took off to talk to that Gambit fella—probably to ask him to look for Kurt. The professor talked about it a little. All he would say was that a man named Stryker is behind it. Guys, this is big. Something's goin' on and it's gonna change everything we know," finished Tabitha hurriedly.

Lance shook his head. "No way. What use is Kurt?"

Tabitha shrugged. "I don't know, but whatever it is, I think Rogue's gonna want to make Stryker pay."

Toad spoke up finally. "Stryker…he came by the school once…right before the Liberty Island thing. He was friends with Senator Kelly or somethin'. He was real pissed when the Senator was nabbed."

"Are you sure?" Everyone glanced up to see Rogue staring down at them with horror in her eyes. She took a deep breath. "Aw man, this is bigger than Ah thought. There's no way we cahn beat this guy. He's been plannin' somethin' for months, he has ta have been, why else would he go after Kurt now?"

"Hey, it's gonna be okay. Gambit will find him," murmured Pietro getting out of his seat and putting a comforting arm around Rogue.

Rogue brushed off his arm. "You don't understand. Mutants aren't safe anymore. Not with this Stryker guy collectin' 'em for his own purposes." With those words she walked away, her mind a whirl. Rogue slipped over to the corner of the backstage and sat on the ground, bringing her skirted knees close to her chest. Everything was wrong. Her feelings, her life, her powers. Everything felt off.

"Can I join you?" came a soft voice. Rogue looked up to see Jean in her costume. Rogue nodded and Jean slid down to the ground beside her. "You're taking this whole thing over Kurt pretty hard."

"Ah never hated the kid…Ah just…Ah don't know what ta do 'bout him. Yeah, he's mah brother, but we're complete opposites. Ahn Mystique willingly gave mah life over ta Magneto's for a chance ta be with Kurt. It hurts. Ah hate her more than anythin' else in this world, but it still hurts ta know she chose Kurt over meh."

"I've been thinking a lot about that too since your powers went haywire. There could be a million reasons why Mystique chose Kurt over you, but the only one I could think of was love," murmured Jean.

"Huh?"

"Rogue, you and Kurt are half brother and sister. Neither of you know who your father is. Maybe Mystique genuinely loved Kurt's father and therefore loved Kurt all the more for being born, you know? I could be completely wrong, but it's possible."

Rogue sat back thoughtfully. "Maybe," she conceded. "Mystique has made it pretty plain that she loathes mah father—whoever he is. But it still hurts."

"It's always going to hurt. That's a betrayal deeper than any I've ever heard of." Jean lapsed into silence for a moment before continuing. "You know, there are times when I think that my parents love my sister more than they love me. They're proud of me for controlling my powers and excelling in school—but Sara, she's normal. They dote on her because she's normal. It hurts because they don't try as hard with me. I know I shouldn't be jealous of her, but I miss my parents. I miss spending time with them. I miss the little things like baking with my mom, or watching the _Discovery Channel_ with my dad. I even miss fighting over clothes with Sara. Even if she did have horrible taste."

"Ah never had that. Ah got mah powers before mah adopted parents had the baby. Ah don't even know if it's a girl or a boy. Ah miss them. Sometimes Ah'll find mahself thinkin' 'bout them. 'Bout the life Ah led…'bout Cody. Why cahn't humans understand that it's hard for mutants ta live? We have ta give up everythin' we know because we aren't accepted, ahn the only places that accept us are far from home. Ah'd give anythin' ta be normal again."

"Truth be told, I would too," agreed Jean quietly.

Rogue looked over at the red head beside her and smiled. "Maybe we aren't that different, Jeanie. Maybe none of us are."

"We never were." Jean smiled back and Rogue nodded along in agreement. For the first time in her life she felt accepted.

**Meanwhile:**

The tour guide motioned her hand up towards a picture of a stately looking president as she recited her memorized lines. Only about half the group was even paying attention to her. It was relatively more than she had initially expected. Though, the pale man standing in the back—the one wearing a long beige coat, sunglasses, and hat—seemed a little strange. But her job was only to relate history, not judge the tourists in her group. Maybe the guy thought it was going to rain later. Anything was possible in Washington, D.C.

As the tour group moved on the tall man in the trench coat lingered close to a roped off hallway. The security guard nearby noticed this and rolled his eyes. Another person hoping for a glimpse of the president.

"Can I help you, sir? You're tour group has already moved on, you better hurry if you want to catch them," said the security. His tone was light, but serious. He had a job to do, nothing more, nothing less.

"No," started the man with a tinge of a German accent. "I don't believe you can."

The security guard made a face and was about to reply when his eyes caught the flicker of a blue…tail behind the man. Glancing down in disbelief he saw that the man was standing on what appeared to be blue, hind legs. "What the—" The man grabbed his two-way radio, pressing the button in a hurry. "Mutant! We have a mutant—"

The rest was lost as the security guard was knocked off his feet by the blue tail. Then, with a puff of smoke, and a highly odorous smell the mutant was gone.

Further down an adjoining hallway the security guards received the garbled message from their comrade. But it came too late. Smoke filled the air and guards were knocked to the ground left and right as a demon-like mutant appeared kicking and hitting with his feet and tail. The smoke in the hallway began to clear but the mutant was gone once again.

Inside the Oval Office the President of the United States was crouched near his desk with White House Security surrounding him. Outside their doorway the sounds of a scuffle could be heard. Shots rang out, and then the door to the Oval Office opened. All that could be seen was blue-black smoke. One security guard stepped forward, raising his gun into the air, but before he could fire a shot he was pulled into the smoke.

Suddenly a blue furred mutant wearing a beige trench coat burst out of the smoke. He disappeared as the security guards began to open fire. When he next appeared it was behind the security guards. With a flick of a blue prehensile tail the men were thrown to the ground. A few kicks of his animal-like feet knocked the wind and weapons out of the rest of the men.

President McKenna's eyes were bulging in fear as he stood on his feet. A gargled cry was emitted from his lips as the blue creature knocked him backwards onto his desk. McKenna stared in horror as the creature's tail flicked upwards with a knife in its grip. Just as the knife lunged downwards towards the President's heart a gunshot resounded throughout the room. The mutant's eyes flashed in pain, his knife wielding tail missing the President's head by mere inches before he vanished in a puff of foul smelling smoke.

**Westchester:**

Remy walked down the sidewalk with his hands buried deep within his coat pockets. He kept his eyes on the ground, avoiding the looks of the people passing him. He had snuck back to the X-Men mansion and studied the grounds carefully. Behind the back wall, in a deserted alley, Remy had found tires leading away from the mansion. The tire tracks had been made by a heavy duty truck—almost like a military issued vehicle. The tracks had led to a dirt road, and then made their way back to the main highway, leading towards Westchester.

Sabertooth's jeep was parked a ways back so Remy could scout the growing suburb carefully. So far he hadn't found a thing. With a frown on his face Remy stepped inside a small bar and nodded at the bartender. He had been here before and knew the place as mutant friendly. It was a bit rundown, and the locals didn't stray close unless they were of mutant origins. The bartender gave Remy the usual as the Cajun took a seat on a stool. He took a sip of his beer and glanced up at the large screen television.

"Word has just come from the White House that there has been an assassination attempt on the President's life. Sources say that the attack was initiated by a blue mutant who seemed to have vanished in a puff of smoke after being shot at. No word yet on how this will affect humans and mutants across the nation. All we know is that nothing will ever be the same again."

"Mon Dieu," Remy placed his drink back on the counter, placed a bill beside it and took off out of the bar. He half ran, half walked back towards the SUV. The news had made his job easier, but now it was a race against time to see if he could get word to Rogue before Stryker did.

**Bayville High School:**

Rogue peered through the curtains nervously, absently tugging at her costume. She hated wearing dresses. Especially this one. Too much skin was exposed at her neck, but the drama teacher refused to let her wear a scarf. Something about it being too modern.

In the audience she spotted Wanda. A few seats away she could see Warren, Logan, Ororo, Jamie, and the Professor. Dr. McCoy had opted to stay behind, figuring he couldn't hide his mutant form comfortably. Rogue began to wish she hadn't come either. She had a really bad feeling about everything.

"What are you looking at?" asked Pietro with a frown. The slick haired speedster glanced through the curtains curiously. Almost instantly his eyes fell on Warren. "What the hell is the play boy doin' here?" he demanded in a flash of anger.

"He's with the X-Men," replied Rogue flippantly.

Pietro turned to her with an icy glare. "And you didn't think to tell me about it?"

"Pietro, it doesn't matter. There's nothin' goin' ohn with meh ahn Warren anymore. Just like Ah'm not sure there's anythin' between us," sighed Rogue. She cringed as the last part left her lips. She hadn't meant to say that yet. She had wanted to talk to Pietro about their lack of a relationship somewhere less public.

"What are you saying?" asked Pietro his eyes narrowing darkly.

"Ah don't know. Ah just…Ah don't know anymore. Everything's out of control right now. Ah have a lot of things ta worry about."

"You're thinkin' of joining them aren't you?"

"Huh?"

Pietro snorted. "You're a fuckin' tease, Roguey. You're thinking about screwing my dad over again and joining the X-Men, aren't you?"

"No…Ah don't know. Ah feel Ah have an obligation to 'em too. They've taken meh in, no questions asked. They know Ah'm still workin' with y'all, but they haven't kicked meh out yet. Stryker is the common enemy. Ah cahn't choose sides ohn this one. Ah cahn't."

"No one asked you to, Rogue. Maybe you do have an obligation to the X-Freaks…but you have an obligation to the Brotherhood as well. And if you choose the wrong side I'll make you pay."

Rogue's eyes flashed dangerously. "So that's how it's gonna be then, Speedy? As long as Ah'm not with you Ah'm the enemy? As long as Ah think there's no meh ahn you, you're gonna treat meh like shit? What the hell is your problem? Ah'm tryin' ta do what's right for our kind! Ah don't give a shit 'bout any causes—Ah just care 'bout livin' ta see tomorrow! Who the hell ever said that your path was a righteous one, huh?"

"That's rich coming from you! Always changing sides when the going gets tough!" shot back Pietro angrily, his voice rising and gaining the attention of the rest of the cast backstage. "You're afraid of your own goddamn shadow! As soon as you gain just a little bit of power you freak out! Rogue, you're a mutant! Your powers are meant to be used—not hidden away! Why can't you just accept who you are?"

"Meh? What about you? You're nothin' like your ol' man, Pietro! You never will be! You're better than him. Why won't ya leave his shadows? You're afraid of Magneto! And you should be! He has a sick mind, Speedy. He doesn't give a damn 'bout anyone but himself! He'd kill ya if meant winnin' this war!" shouted Rogue.

"Don't talk about things you don't know!" shrieked Pietro loudly. "You're nothing without him!"

"And you're nothin' with him, sugah." Rogue's voice was barely audible. Around them the X-Men, Brotherhood, and their human peers stared in horror at the fuming teens in front of the curtains. The human students began to look around suspiciously at one another as the words of Pietro and Rogue sunk in.

"You wanna see what I am, Roguey? Then I'll show you." With two quick steps Pietro grabbed Rogue and pressed his lips to hers roughly. He pulled away just as her powers began to start up. Both stumbled backwards, breathing heavily. Turning on his heels, Pietro pushed aside the curtains, pulling the decorative sword from his hip and brandishing it in front of the curtains.

Rogue gasped. "Warren."

Scott was already moving towards the curtains and audience. "I'm on it," he said.

"Not in this lifetime," muttered Lance clenching his hands into fists. The auditorium shook, and the stage cracked with the tremor. The curtains fell to the ground, smashing through the stage and down into the basement.

Rogue glanced out towards the audience. The crowd was beginning to push and shove as they tried to get out of their seats in a hurry. Pietro sped through the crowd, wielding the sword above his head as he headed straight towards Warren. But Warren was already out of his seat. His wings burst out of his blazer and lifted him in the air as Logan met Pietro's advance with his claws.

"What the hell did you do, yo?" demanded Toad gripping Rogue's arm to turn her around to face him. He never got an answer as Sam barreled into the green mutant at full force, sending both of them across the auditorium. Behind her she heard a shriek and turned in time to see Fred lunging at Kitty and Amara. Kitty phased through the overgrown mutant as Amara powered up into a fiery form. The young princess shot a bolt of heat at Fred, knocking the teen to the ground.

"Roguey!" Jamie's voice could be heard over the din of the rumbles and screams, catching Rogue's attention. The southern girl looked to see Jamie trying to come her way. The small mutant finally made his way onstage and latched onto Rogue with tears in his eyes. "Make it stop," he whispered. "Make it stop."

The rumbling ceased as Bobby sprayed Lance with ice, trying to freeze the reckless leader of the Brotherhood. Out of nowhere Sabertooth appeared, dropping down from the ceiling, or so it seemed. The large brute hit Bobby across the chest, knocking the blonde to the ground. Sabertooth glanced up and met Rogue's eyes, his glinted with a hidden agenda. Rogue quickly pushed Jamie behind her and cursed the drama teacher for making her wear a dress as Sabertooth headed her way, his large hands extended with his claws out.

"Not so fast, bub," growled Logan jumping onto the stage. Sabertooth ground his teeth together, but quickly went after Logan instead. Rogue turned to scoop Jamie in her arms, making sure to keep him away from her neck and rushed over to Bobby who was dazed.

"Bobby? Are you alright?" asked Rogue.

"I think so…and I think I'm gonna have one helluva bruise come tomorrow," groaned Bobby sitting up.

Rogue quickly pushed Jamie into his arms. "Watch him, would ya? Ah hafta take care of Pietro."

"Are you crazy? He's lost his mind!" protested Bobby as Jamie quickly latched his arms around the older boy's neck.

"Yeah, but it's mah fault," replied Rogue grimly. She got to her feet, and clutching her skirts in her hands made her way off the stage. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Wanda and Jean engaging in battle. But Rogue's mind was set on Pietro. The white haired teen was running circles around Scott.

She watched Pietro carefully; centering her mind on him until she was sure she had a pattern down pat. Edging closer to Pietro's path Rogue quickly shot out an arm, hitting Pietro in the neck as he ran into her without realizing it. Pietro gagged and fell backwards as Scott shot a beam of energy at Pietro's feet. Rogue pinned Pietro to the ground, their eyes locking.

"Lemme go," ordered Pietro gritting his teeth.

"No. Ya need ta listen ta meh, Speedy. Ah'm not ohn anyone's side but mah own. Ah never have been. Magneto is just a way ta get even with Mystique. Ah just live with the X-Men. Kurt's mah brother. No matter how much Ah may hate our mother, Ah hafta protect him from her. Don't ask why, 'cause Ah wouldn't be able to explain it to ya. Never underestimate me, Speedy. You have no idea what Ah'm capable of. No one does."

Pietro opened his mouth to argue when the auditorium doors flew open. Rogue glanced up and let go of Pietro with fear in her eyes. Remy was pushing and shoving past fleeing humans to get to her. The look on his face made her heart drop down into the pit of her stomach.

"Didja find him?" asked Rogue scrambling to her feet and meeting Remy halfway.

"Oh, I found 'im alright, chère. But it ain't good news," remarked Remy with a shake of his head.

Rogue grabbed his arms and dug her nails in them sharply. "Where is he? What's happenin'?" she demanded, panic tinting her voice.

"He attacked the President, chère. He's tried t' kill the President," answered Remy softly. Rogue's mouth fell open, her grip tightening on the Cajun. If she let go she knew she would collapse. Remy was silent as he watched her eyes film over, lost in thought. "We betta git ya outta here, petite. Da principal called in backup. Da military is on de way."

"How could this have happened? Why was Ah so stupid? Ah shoulda watched him carefully…why didn't Ah let go of mah hard feelin's for him?" Rogue was mumbling, and barely comprehended the fact that Remy was encircling an arm around her waist and turning her towards the doorway. With a strong grip the Cajun led Rogue towards the exit.

Behind her Rogue could dimly hear the sounds of battle between the Brotherhood and X-Men. Her mind was still going over what she had learned about Kurt. He was in trouble…and it seemed like it was all her fault.

Somehow Remy managed to lead Rogue outside and into the SUV. They were speeding away just as military jeeps parked in front of the school. Remy continuously shifted his glance from Rogue and back to the road. She still seemed to be in shock.

"There's nothin' y' could o' done," said Remy after a minute.

"You're wrong. Ah could have done somethin' ta protect him, but Ah didn't. Ah don't know how Ah'll be able ta live with mahself after this. Ah failed the only person Ah had left in mah life," murmured Rogue softly. "Ah failed everyone."

**X-Mansion:**

It was late afternoon when Remy drove up the driveway of the mansion. For the last couple of hours they had drove around Bayville, Rogue lost in thought, and Remy paying close attention to the radio. Principal Kelly was due to make an announcement regarding the high school auditorium incident. All Remy had been able to gather so far was that the auditorium was now in rubble after the mutants had banded together against the military.

"Y' gonna be alright, chère?" asked Remy as he pulled up in front of the front doors.

Rogue shrugged. "Y'all are gonna skip town for a while, aren't ya?"

"It's prolly f' da best, non?" returned Remy quietly.

"Yeah."

"Just so y' know, chère, I saw your lil friend—da Juggernaut—talkin' with Sabertooth. It don't seem right t' me. I'd watch m'self if I was you."

"I will. Thanks. See ya around, Swamp Rat." Rogue quickly got out of the SUV and headed towards the front door as Remy drove away. She pushed open the door and closed it shut behind her, leaning against it gratefully. She was safe now.

"Roguey!" Jamie shot out of the living room and into Rogue's arms, hugging her tightly despite the fancy costume she was still wearing. Rogue hugged him back, her loose hair hiding the tears that formed in her eyes. This was what being a sister was supposed to be about. Unquestionable love. Logan and Bobby both emerged from the living room as well.

"I'm glad you're alright. Now I can put the pipsqueak to bed," said Logan. Rogue smiled briefly. Under his gruff words lay relief that she had returned to the mansion. Logan detached Jamie from Rogue and tossed the boy over his shoulders as he headed up the stairs.

"Are you alright?" questioned Bobby with an anxious face.

"Ah've been better. Where is everyone?" replied Rogue.

"The Professor and Scott went to the city to talk with Magneto. Ororo and Jean took the jet to get Kurt. He's in Boston, hiding out in a church."

Rogue nodded absently as a couple of stray tears slid down her cheeks. "Is he…how is…is…gawd…" The rest of her words were drowned out as Bobby pulled her into a hug. She clutched him tightly and cried, long wracking sobs.

"He's fine, Rogue. We're gonna get through this," soothed Bobby. "We're gonna get through this."

**New York City High Security Prison:**

Scott watched with tight lips as the Professor was shipped through the tube leading into Magneto's cell. Today had been a disaster. The identities of the X-Men had been revealed to everyone in Bayville. And the X-Men hadn't done much to prove to humans that mutants were peaceful too. They had destroyed the auditorium thanks to the military trying to capture them.

Then they had discovered what it was Gambit had been talking to Rogue about before they vanished. Kurt had somehow tried to assassinate the President of the United States. The Professor had located the young German in Boston, and Jean and Ororo had gone off after him. Now Scott was accompanying Xavier to discover why Magneto was giving Stryker information.

Eric looked up when Xavier entered. "To what do I owe the pleasure, Charles? Come to read my mind and see what I'm up to?"

"I don't believe I could gain more than what I already know, my old friend. I know about Stryker's plans. What I don't understand is why you have been helping him. You know what he stands for…why tell him everything he wants to know, Eric?" asked Xavier.

"Mr. Stryker can be most persuasive when he wants to be. He was learned how to control mutants, Charles. I fear none of us are safe anymore," replied Eric with a cynical chuckle.

"What did you tell him?"

"Absolutely everything."

Xavier's eyes narrowed. "But why? What is he planning?"

A thin misty substance began to float out of the vents, permeating the air. Both men blinked to keep their eyes open. "He is planning…the end of mutant kind," answered Eric. "And he has come to ask you…for help."

With wide eyes Xavier turned to glance back towards the control room, but it was much too late. Scott lay unconscious on the ground. Standing above the teen stood a petite Asian woman with bright eyes and William Stryker. The last thought that filtered through Xavier's mind was complete and utter fear for the lives of his X-Men back home.

**A/N—I'm not sure I like how this chapter went, but I figure it would do for now. I hope you enjoy, and I'll start the next chapter soon. **


	38. Open Season

**Disclaimer: I'm sure everyone knows I don't own this stuff.**

**Chapter 37-Open Season**

"I want you to promise me, Mr. Stryker, that _all _you're planning on doing is going into that mansion and detaining the mutants for questioning. If one of those kids so much as gets a paper cut from you I'll shut your entire division down. We don't need the media crawling all over this if something goes wrong, you got me?" The President rubbed his forehead wearily as he awaited the answer on the other line.

"I promise, Mr. President, that we will be the sole of discretion in this matter," replied William Stryker brightly.

"Let's hope so. Alright then, I'm giving you and your men the green light."

"Thank-you, Mr. President. I promise you won't be disappointed." With that the line was cut off, leaving President McKenna to reluctantly place his end in its cradle. With a deep breath the President of the United States stood up and turned to look out his window. Even in the night sky he could sense a storm brewing.

**Boarding House:**

"I hope y' boys are packed!" called out Remy from the bottom of the stairs. "'Cause I have no pro'lem leavin' wit' out ya."

"Fuck off," muttered Lance as he made his way down the stairs. Right behind him was Tabitha. The blonde girl was now wearing some borrowed clothing from Wanda.

"What are y' doin' here?" asked Remy suspiciously.

"Didn't you hear what Rogue said earlier, Red-Eyes? The government is thinking of striking the X-Men—there's no way in hell I'm gonna die with a bunch of geeks. 'Sides, sooner or later someone's gonna realize I was the one who tried to blow up Amara today. I don't think the Professor is going to be welcoming me back with open arms anytime soon," replied Tabitha glibly.

"And we aren't gonna just leave her here for the authorities," added Wanda as she entered the living room with both Fred and Toad on her heels. "Kelly's gonna send people after us pretty damn quick here, we better get a move on if we wanna be gone by the time the cavalry arrives."

"Let's get a move on then," growled Sabertooth flinging the front door open.

"So, uh, where are we going?" questioned Pietro zipping into the room. "Somewhere warm I hope."

Sabertooth grunted. "One of the older hideouts Magneto had set up a few years ago. It'll be safe enough for now—at least until the boss is out and handing out orders again."

"It's not the sewers again, is it?" groaned Toad. "Man, I hated that place the last time I had to hole up there."

"Stop your cryin'—and let's go!"

The teens grumbled but filed out the front door for the last time. Lance, Tabitha, Fred and Toad piled into Lance's jeep, while Sabertooth, Remy, Wanda, and Pietro got into the SUV. Minutes later they were speeding down the highway leading out of Bayville for good.

**Mansion:**

Rogue collapsed onto her bed with in relief. Her body was exhausted from the lack of sleep she had gotten the night before and from the events of the day. Now she was in her pajamas and ready for bed. Tomorrow would be a long day—Principal Kelly had blamed the X-Men for destroying public school property, and was preparing for a protest rally outside the mansion first thing in the morning.

"This totally sucks," muttered Kitty as she entered the room.

"What does?" asked Rogue getting up to pull back her covers.

"Mr. Logan is sending everyone to bed early tonight—I don't see why we have to. It's not like we have school to worry about tomorrow," grumbled Kitty searching her dresser drawers for her pajamas.

Rogue sighed. "No, but if Kelly really does stage his rally tomorrow we're gonna hafta keep an eye ohn him. That, ahn there's still that Stryker guy ta worry 'bout. Ahn then there's Kurt. Ah for one don't mind goin' ta bed early tonight."

"I guess." Kitty made a face and disappeared into the bathroom. Rogue closed her eyes and took a deep breath to keep calm. Kitty was worried about Kurt—that was the only reason the petite brunette was being so surly. With a shake of her head Rogue crawled into her bed and pulled the covers around her up to her chin. She needed as much sleep as possible if she was going to fix things tomorrow.

**Boston Church:**

Jean crinkled her nose as she and Ororo stepped through the front doors of the church. Inside smelt of paint and cigarettes. Kurt had picked one heck of a hiding place.

"Sense him yet?" asked Ororo quietly. Jean opened her mind just a little and smirked in triumph. The red head pointed a single finger upwards.

"Kurt? Are you up there? It's me, Jean!" called out Jean cautiously. Her voice echoed in the rafters of the church.

"Go away!" shouted Kurt, his German accent thick with anger.

"Kurt, we've come to help you," said Ororo calmly.

"No one can help me now! I have committed a sin! God has tested my will and I failed!"

Jean sighed. "Everyone's worried about you, Kurt, even Rogue. She was ready to tear the mansion apart when she couldn't find you this morning. Logan's been keeping an eye on her in case she decides to sneak out and find you herself."

There was a bout of silence, and then Kurt spoke in a quieter voice. "There is nothing anyone can do for me now. Just leave me alone…but…could you tell Rogue I'm alright?"

Ororo and Jean exchanged glances. The white haired woman raised her eyebrows in question as Jean rolled her eyes. Ororo's eyes filmed over as a burst of wind swept into the church and up in to the rafters. Lightning flashed, hitting the beam that Kurt was sitting on. Together, Kurt and the beam fell through the air and straight towards the ground. Kurt's eyes were squeezed shut as when he felt his body stop short from hitting the cement floor. Opening one eye he saw that he was eye level with Jean who was smirking at him.

"Why don't you tell Rogue yourself, huh, Kurt? I don't want to be the one to explain why you aren't with us when we return," stated the red head in amusement.

"But I…I almost did a horrible thing today," murmured Kurt shamefully.

Ororo placed a gentle hand on Kurt's shoulder as Jean lowered him to the ground. "Kurt, you weren't in control. Someone else was controlling you—someone by the name of William Stryker. We know that you would never try to kill anyone."

"But what are we going to do now?" whispered Kurt wiping away tears from his eyes. "I don't think the President is ever going to look at mutants the same way again."

"We'll think of something," remarked Ororo softly. "We won't give up so easily. You should no that better than most."

"I know, but I can't help being scared. You don't understand what it was like. I could see the men I attacked; I could sense their fear, and their hatred. I looked into the eyes of the President and I wanted to tell him that I didn't want to hurt him, but no words would come out. All I could do was pray for God to help me—and that's when I was shot." Kurt rolled up the sleeve of his arm to show the wound he had received.

"How were you taken without anyone noticing?" questioned Jean.

Kurt shrugged. "I don't really remember. One minute I'm sitting by the pool and the next thing I know I'm in the White House. I don't remember what happened in between."

Ororo shook her head. "It doesn't make sense. How in the world was this Stryker able to control Kurt?"

"I don't know," murmured Jean, "but I'm really hoping the Professor will have some answers. If humans can learn to control mutants then we're in more danger than we originally thought. The Mutant Registration Act would be a welcome relief to mutants living in fear of losing total control of their minds."

"We better get back to the mansion then," agreed Ororo, "before something else happens."

**Mansion:**

Logan rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he walked down the hallway. He couldn't sleep—his mind kept returning to the nightmares of old. The ones of being tested on in a lab. It seemed that the name Stryker was more familiar than he had originally thought. With a grunt Logan made his way into the kitchen where Bobby was eating a pint of ice cream from the carton.

"I take it you can't sleep either?" asked the older mutant gruffly.

Bobby shrugged. "I don't think very many us can sleep tonight. We're too worried about what's gonna happen tomorrow."

"I wouldn't worry about Kelly if I was you. He ain't the real problem."

"That's what Rogue's been saying. She's really freaking out over this whole thing," said Bobby quietly.

"No one knows what Stryker wants with mutants—Rogue's just afraid of ending up being a lab rat. She has every right to fear that…she's too dangerous for humans to try and control her. And she knows it."

"I was talking about Kurt. She's worried about him. I think she's finally realizing that she has a little brother to try and take care of," replied Bobby. "I figure Rogue can do more than hold her own against the enemy. She's proven that to us a couple different times now."

"No shit." Logan lapsed into silence as he studied the teen in front of him. "What do you think you're parents are going to say when they find out about this?"

"They're gonna flip. I've been trying to find a way to tell them I'm a mutant. I was going to tell them during Christmas—but I chickened out. They have views on mutants…I'm afraid of how they'll react."

"Didn't they see Jamie when they picked you up last time?"

"They thought Jamie's folks had been one of those couples to have a bunch babies in vitro," muttered Bobby stabbing his spoon into his ice cream.

"Right. You'd think they'd have noticed by now that this isn't exactly a school," stated Logan. "We don't have any teachers here."

"I've played up the mansion as a prep school—my parents only know what I've been telling them for the past couple of years."

Logan shook his head and looked ready to speak again when his ears perked up. In the distance he could hear booted footsteps making their way through the foyer of the mansion. Bobby glanced up as well, but his attention was directed towards the kitchen windows. Outside he could hear helicopters headed towards the mansion.

Bobby barely noticed Logan slip out of the kitchen. Instead the blonde teen made his way over to the windows and peered out into the black night. The choppers were getting closer. A sudden sound made Bobby turn around in fear. There, standing in the doorway, was a man dressed all black fatigues pointing a gun at him.

Before the man could shoot however, Logan reappeared shooting both sets of claws into the man's back and out through his chest. Bobby ducked to the ground as the man screamed in pain and pulled the trigger on his weapon. Glass shattered into a million pieces as Bobby tried to drown out the sound of the bullets pounding through the kitchen walls. Then, all was quiet. Bobby peeked his head over the counter and breathed in relief as the man fell to the ground in a dead heap.

"You okay?" demanded Logan.

"Yeah," murmured Bobby in shock.

"We gotta get the others out of here." With those words Logan strode out of the kitchen with Bobby hot on his heels.

Upstairs Rogue sat straight up in bed at the sound of a gun being fired continuously. Her heart was beating rapidly as she threw off the covers. Glancing over at the bed she could see that Kitty was already missing. Rogue pulled open her bedroom door to see the rest of the kids in the mansion spilling out of their bedrooms in fear.

Dr. McCoy appeared with Warren by his side. "We have to get out of here!" said the doctor trying to remain calm. "We are under attack—but we must get downstairs to the secret tunnels!"

The kids didn't need to be told twice. They began to run down the hallway and towards the stairway. Rogue stood her ground shaking her head in fear. She couldn't believe it was happening.

"We gotta go, Shelia!" called out St. John pushing her forward down the hall. This snapped Rogue out of her reverie and the two teens ran to catch up with the rest of the housemates. As St. John and Rogue reached the stairway they caught sight of Kitty struggling to pick up an unconscious Jamie from the ground. Warren was right beside her.

"Get him to safety and I'll try and divert the men who shot at him," ordered Warren.

"What happened?" demanded Rogue rushing to Kitty's side.

Kitty was in tears. "I don't know. We were running and the next thing I know he was on the ground! They're shooting darts at us!"

"Get out of here!" Warren's words were shouted loudly as he extended his wings. With a giant leap over the banister he was flying down to the bottom floor. Gunshots rang out, causing Rogue, St. John, and Kitty to crouch low to the ground.

"We'll have to go down the backstairs," said St. John. Kitty nodded and scooped Jamie into her arms. Rogue got to her feet as well and the group jogged further down the hallway. Halfway down it they met up with Bobby who skidded to a halt.

"Thank-god I found you guys—it's a madhouse down below. Jubilee and Sam have been shot—and I think they got Rahne too. Piotr is walking around in his metal form—the darts and bullets are bouncing right off him. We have to get to the tunnels now! The Morlocks are in there with Evan—they're offering us refuge in the sewers!" gasped Bobby breathlessly.

"Then we better get down there before they leave us," agreed Rogue. Just as the teens were about to start running again two men burst through the window at the end of the hall. Kitty screamed and fell to the ground as a dart hit her in the neck.

"Kitty!" shrieked Rogue, her eyes widening. She reached down towards Kitty and Jamie, but Bobby tackled her to the ground as more darts flew through the air.

"There's nothing we can do—we have to get outta here!" he yelled at her. Rogue felt the familiar tug of her powers as Bobby grabbed her bare arm and pulled her to her feet while St. John flipped open his lighter and sent a ball of fire towards the armed men.

"We cahn't just leave 'em here!" protested Rogue as Bobby pushed her in the opposite direction of Kitty and Jamie.

"Shelia, there's no way we'll get outta here if we try ta carry them!" argued St. John angrily. "We aren't any help ta them if we're captured too!"

"He's right!" growled Logan appearing out of nowhere. "They ain't killin' the kids—so we need ta get outta here while we can and save the others later."

Rogue nodded dumbly and turned to run down the steps behind Logan, Bobby, and St. John. The three made it to the bottom and headed towards the front door, but were blinded by a bright light the moment it was flung open. The front yard was crawling with military men.

"We'll have to use the tunnels too," stated Bobby. The blonde teen quickly led the way down the hall and towards an empty wall panel. Logan hesitated as darts flew past them.

"You kids go ahead. I'll give you a head start!" Logan turned on his heel and began to make his way down the hall with his claws out and moving.

Bobby pushed Rogue into the secret tunnel and followed with St. John directly behind him. The three teens made their way through the cold tunnel when Rogue stopped short.

"We cahn't just leave him!" she exclaimed. "Where are we gonna go? Everyone else is already gone! Where are we gonna go?"

St. John groaned. "Man, Shelia, ya picked a helluva time ta grow a conscious."

"What do you want us to do, Rogue? We're in way over are heads," remarked Bobby running a hand through his hair.

"We cahn't get outta here alive without Logan. Ah won't leave him here ta die!"

"The man can't die, Shelia! He's a lethal weapon! Bobby, make her see that we gotta get our asses outta here now or else we're all gonna die!" said St. John.

Bobby glanced between Rogue and St. John and sighed. "She's right, there's no way we'll get off the grounds without Logan. It'll take just a minute to get him."

"Thank-you," murmured Rogue. St. John stifled a moan but turned to follow his two friends back down the tunnel and towards the secret entrance. Bobby slid the panel open and placed a single hand against the side of the wall. Rogue watched with held breath as ice began to form between Logan and a heavy-set man. They seemed to be discussing something almost civilly, but once the block of ice separated them Logan seemed to shake himself back to the present.

"Logan, we gotta get outta here!" hissed Rogue. "We need your help. We cahn't do this alone."

Logan nodded his head sharply and set off down the hall towards the secret panel. Seconds later a charge went off, destroying the block of ice, but the mutants were gone.

Bobby led the way as the small group ran down the dank tunnel. He stopped short at a small ladder and made his way up the rungs, flinging the trap door open. The group made their way up the ladder and into the garage. Bobby made his way over to the first car in the row of vehicles. It was the car that Scott was to be given for graduation.

Rogue pulled open the passenger side door and got in as Bobby opened the back door. They could see Logan pushing St. John towards the backseat before the older mutant slid into the driver's seat.

"It's a good thing Scott doesn't know he has a new car or he'd be pissed we're takin' it for a test drive," chuckled Logan sticking a single claw into the ignition. Rogue shook her head in amusement and buckled up as the car shot out of the garage and sped down the gravel of the driveway. A few stray bullets hit the car, but Logan simply pressed harder on the gas until they were out on the road and leaving town.

"What do we do now?" asked Rogue nervously. She kept glancing in the side mirror to be sure they weren't being followed.

"We find the Professor or Ororo," answered Logan gruffly.

"We don't even know where they are," pointed out St. John.

Bobby spoke up nervously. "Ororo and Jean should be in Boston."

"Then that's where we'll go," stated Logan.

"But where are they in Boston?" demanded Rogue. "The Professor was the only one who knew where Kurt had decided ta hole up."

In reply Logan pressed a button on the car stereo and out popped a COM-link. "We'll get in touch with them eventually."

St. John snorted. "That's all fine and dandy, mate, but what the hell do we do in the meantime?"

"My family is in Boston," stated Bobby.

"Sounds like family reunion to me," said Logan shifting gears.

**Meanwhile:**

William Stryker studied the hallway suspiciously. He had been so close—he had found the mutant weapon that he had created so long ago…and now it was gone along with more than half the children in the house. Only five had been captured, and that was more than enough for Stryker to test his experiment on.

Stryker watched appreciatively as his men began to tear apart the room known as Cerebro. This was what he really wanted. This was the answer to all of humanity's prayers.

A soldier approached Stryker, saluting sharply. "Sir, we found some secret tunnel that weren't in the blue prints we were given. There's no sign of any more mutants in the mansion. Four of them just escaped in a car from the garage. We weren't able to stop them."

"No matter, Sergeant, they'll get their dues later. You're sure no one is left in the mansion, then?" questioned Stryker curiously.

"Positive, sir."

"Good. Blow the place up as soon as we have what we need. Let the ones who escaped know we mean business."

"Yes—yes, sir." The Sergeant saluted and watched anxiously as Stryker walked away. With a deep breath the Sergeant began issuing orders to set bombs in four areas of the house and then to wait his command.

**New York City High Security Prison:**

Eric looked up briefly as the security entered his cell bearing a tray of food. A small smile graced the mutant's lips as he stood up.

"Mr. Laurio, I see you've brought me a surprise today," murmured Eric, his mood lightening.

"Just the usual meatloaf surprise, Lensherr," grumbled Laurio patiently.

"Aw, but the meal was not what I was referring to. There's something else that you've brought me today."

Laurio's eyes narrowed as he pulled out his clear nightstick. "Sit your ass down, Mutie; I don't have time to play games today."

"And neither do I. You see, Mr. Laurio, I am late for my re-entrance into society." Eric raised a single hand into the air just as Laurio advanced towards him. The security guard was speechless as he felt his body lifted into the air. His chest seemed to constrict painfully as Laurio struggled to breathe.

"What…are you…doing?" hissed the heavy-set man fearfully.

"Relieving you of all that extra iron in your blood," replied Eric glibly. Laurio's eyes widened even further as small beads of iron shot out of his chest. The security guard fell to the ground in a bloody heap, his eyes staring blankly out the side of the prison.

Eric chuckled. "Mr. Laurio, you should be ashamed of yourself. A beautiful woman is always a dangerous thing. Especially when she is interested in someone like you. Simpleton."

The master of metal chuckled and stepped over the dead body, sending balls of iron shooting out of his prison, completely destroying the plastic bars that had held him in. He took one of the balls and flattened it out into a disk for him to use to float from his prison to the outer control room. He smirked in triumph as the iron balls tore through the chests of both officers in the room. The glass windows of the room shattered in time for Eric to step through.

He glanced up briefly as the door swung open. Standing there stood Mystique in her naturally blue form and white dress. "Stryker has already attacked the X-Men. A few were capture, the rest escaped. Half of them are in the sewers, a small group headed towards Boston," she started quietly. "It seems the mansion is now a pile of rubble."

"Then we don't have time to lose, my dear. The war has started without us."

**Bobby Drake's House**

**Boston, Massachusetts:**

Bobby pushed the door open and led the tired group inside his home. It was empty, but he wasn't surprised. It was a Monday afternoon; his family wouldn't be home for another twenty minutes or so. Monday's were family days. His mom used to pick Bobby and his brother up after school, and then together they would pick up their dad from work.

"I'll look around for some clothes," said Bobby glancing back at Rogue. The southern girl smiled appreciatively as she wrapped her bare arms around her body. She was growing anxious to be clothed again and not so open to draining her friends. Bobby nodded and snuck a glance at St. John who was playing with his lighter again. "Would it kill you not to burn anything for a while? My mom would flip out if there was a fire in here."

"Yeah, yeah," grumbled St. John as he slipped into the living room. Bobby shook his head and led Rogue upstairs. He opened the door to his room and ushered her inside before leaving to find her some clothing.

Rogue ran a hand through her hair wearily as she studied Bobby's room. She smiled at the photos on his bedside table. They were mostly of him and his younger brother. Rogue's shoulders slumped as she thought about Kurt. She vowed to make it up to him after Stryker had been taken care of. Spotting a rubber band on Bobby's dresser Rogue grabbed it and quickly pulled her hair up into a pony-tail. She had just tucked the white strands behind her ears when Bobby reentered the room with a pair of jeans, white shirt with blue trimming, and a pair of tennis shoes.

"These are my mom's, but I'm sure she won't mind you borrowing them. I don't think she's warn them since before I was born," said Bobby handing Rogue the clothes.

"Thanks," replied Rogue with a smile. Bobby nodded and stepped out of the room to let her change. Rogue quickly tossed her pajamas onto Bobby's bed and changed into her new clothes. Minutes later she pulled the bedroom door open and saw Bobby standing there in jeans and a blue pullover sweater. Without speaking Bobby handed Rogue a pair of white elbow length gloves. She smiled appreciatively as she pulled them on.

At the same moment the two teens heard a small shriek of surprise from downstairs. Bobby was the first one down with Rogue right behind him. Mr. and Mrs. Drake, and Bobby's younger brother, were crowded near the front door staring in surprise at Logan and St. John.

"Mom, Dad, I can explain," started Bobby stepping into the living.

"What are you doing home from school?" asked Mrs. Drake in a hushed voice.

"Well…you see…there's something I need to tell you," finished Bobby lamely.

**Elsewhere in Boston:**

Ororo blew out a frustrated breath of air. "I don't understand it. Why would the President of the United States give Stryker the go ahead to attack the mansion?"

Kurt cleared his throat from his seat behind Jean's. The blue mutant shrunk in his seat as the two women glanced his way. "Sorry," he murmured again.

"It's not your fault," said Jean. "I just hope everyone got out of the mansion alright. I can't believe they blew it up. It's almost as though Stryker doesn't think we'll be going back again."

"Whatever his reasoning is I would feel better if we could get a hold of the Professor. I don't know why he isn't answering," agreed Ororo playing with the controls of the jet.

"Maybe we should check and see if any other COM-Links are up and running. We _have _to be able to get a hold of someone," stated Jean. Ororo nodded as she played with their scanner. Time was beginning to run short.

**Back at Bobby's House:**

"Bobby, are you sure that you're a mutant?" asked Mrs. Drake softly. For an answer Bobby reached out towards the cup of tea in his mother's hand and froze it with the tips of his fingers. Mrs. Drake gasped in surprise and quickly set the frozen cup on the coffee table.

"Son, we still love you, but these are difficult times," said Mr. Drake almost nervously. "Can't you pretend you're…_not _a mutant?"

"Sounds easy enough ta me, mate," agreed St. John flipping the lid of his Zippo open and shut again. Bobby shot the red headed Aussie a glare.

"Bobby cahn't just stop bein' a mutant," started Rogue, "that's not how it works."

Mrs. Drake sighed. "We understand that, but with the mutant problem—"

"You think there's a problem?" interrupted Logan roughly.

"A mutant tried to kill the President," replied Mr. Drake calmly, "I'd say there's a pretty big problem going on right now. And who exactly did you say you were again?"

"Bobby's art teacher."

"Uh-huh."

Rogue shook her head. "Bobby's workin' for the good guys. He's learned a lot from Professor Xavier. Why cahn't y'all understand that your son is gifted? You should be proud of him."

"If word gets out that you're a mutant, Bobby, think of what the neighbors will do to us," pleaded Mrs. Drake turning to look her oldest son in the eyes. "We're your family. Family should come first."

Bobby hung his head in disbelief that his own mother was asking him to choose between them and the X-Men. Beside him he could feel Rogue stiffening in a mixture of surprise and anger. He looked up in time to see his brother Ronny disappearing up the stairs. The brief silence was interrupted by Logan's COM-link going off. The older mutant excused himself and went out into the backyard, leaving the three mutants alone with Bobby's parents.

St. John snorted. "This is why I don't talk to my folks. They expect too much outta ya."

"Speak for yourself," muttered Rogue darkly.

Mr. Drake ignored Rogue and St. John to address his son. "You need to do what's right, Bobby. Stay here with us—don't use your…powers. Be normal."

"We gotta go," announced Logan reentering the living room.

"What? Didja find someone?" asked Rogue getting up out of her seat. St. John and Bobby jumped to their feet as well.

"We've got company. I think we wore out our welcome," replied Logan shooting Bobby's parents a dark glare.

Bobby groaned. "Ronny."

"You either come or stay, Drake, it's your choice. But the rest of us are hittin' the road." Logan pulled open the front door and stepped outside only to be greeted by a cavalry of police pointing their guns at him. Rogue, St. John, and Bobby stepped outside as well, gulping at the scene. The house was surrounded. Behind them glass shattered as more officers broke into the house, sending Bobby's parents into a panic up the stairs.

Logan's claws shot out as a deep growl reverberated in his throat. "This oughtta be fun," he mumbled under his breath.

An officer off to the side of the porch called out "Put down your weapons!"

"I can't," returned Logan sharply.

"Put 'em down!"

"I can't!" Logan raised his hands slightly, and a shot rang out. Logan fell to the ground with a bullet in the middle of his forehead. Rogue jumped in surprise and stared in horror at Logan lying on the ground.

"Oh no, oh no. This cahn't be happenin'," she murmured to herself, tears forming in her eyes.

The officer continued shouting out orders. "Everyone get down on the ground now!"

Bobby and Rogue glanced at each other and slowly lowered their bodies to the ground. Bobby took a deep breath as he eyed Logan carefully. There was no way Logan could be taken down by a bullet. Rogue's eyes never left Logan's as fear settled in the pit of her stomach. She could sense the voices in her head stirring again; they were just as scared as she was.

St. John stared down at Logan with his mouth hanging open. The Aussie clamped it shut and snuck alternating glances between the two officers on either side of the porch with their weapons locked on him.

The woman officer spoke up next. "Get down, kid. We don't want to hurt you."

"Do you know all the mutants they talk about on the telly? The ones they tell you that you should be afraid of? I'm one of those mutants. I don't show mercy." St. John flipped his Zippo open, exposing the small flame. His hand extended over the flame, manipulating it into the air and at the male officer—throwing the man up and over the bushes. Then St. John moved the flame to the other side of the porch at the female officer, sending her down to the ground unconscious.

With a triumphant smirk on his face St. John sent a large ball of fire flying into the street, causing a police car to explode up into the air. Officers ran to avoid the falling debris as the mutant began to throw more fire balls at the rest of the squad cars.

"What are you doing?" hissed Bobby as St. John shot a flame at the officers trying to sneak up on him from inside the house.

"Showin' 'em who's theboss, mate," stated St. John good naturedly. The Aussie grinned brightly as he made the fire in the front yard rise high into the sky.

Rogue gritted her teeth. They didn't have time for this. St. John was screwing around making matters worse for mutants everywhere. Without a second thought she tugged a glove off one of her hands and pulled up the leg of St. John's pants to expose his bare skin. She wrapped her hand around his leg and extended her other hand towards the front yard.

The familiar tug of powers kicked in almost immediately. St. John wheezed in pain as he felt the flame in his hand practically sucked out of him. On the ground Rogue bit her lip as she put out the flames in the yard and struggled to keep St. John's personality from taking control. She couldn't afford to lose control here--not now.

Just as the last flame was put out a rush of air sent dirt and smoke flying as the large Blackbird appeared in the sky. The police all dropped to the ground as the three teens struggled to their feet. Bobby breathed in relief as Logan's eyes popped open and he groggily sat up. Logan surveyed the scene and shot St. John a look, which the Aussie returned with a shrug. Then St. John turned to look at Rogue suspiciously. He kept his mouth shut as he followed her and Logan down the porch steps and towards the jet.

Bobby made his way across the front yard, but paused momentarily to glance back at his home. In the upstairs window he glimpsed his family staring back at him. With a shake of his head Bobby continued towards the jet, and boarded it without looking back. This was his family from now on.

Rogue squeezed Bobby's shoulder tightly as he boarded the jet and the walkway closed up. "You made a big decision today," she murmured softly. "Ah'm sorry it turned out this way."

"I'm not. I would never have been able to live with myself if I had stayed behind. Sometimes you have to make your own family," replied Bobby with a small family. "You should do the same thing."

"Ah'll think about it." Rogue gave the blonde teen a small smile as they made their way towards the front of the jet. Rogue stopped when she felt St. John tug at her shirt. She turned to face him with a dark look. "What?"

"What the hell were ya doin' back there, Shelia? I thought you did this kind of stuff for a livin'," snarled the Aussie softly.

"Sugah, ya have no idea what ya almost did back there. Ya only gave the news somethin' else ta show ohn T.V.; ya gave the world another reason ta fear mutants."

"I didn't think you believed in peace."

"Ah don't…Ah just don't think killin' innocent people is the answer either. It's complicated this time 'round. Every move we make will make the President think twice 'bout the Mutant Registration Act. Is that what ya want?" asked Rogue.

"Do you always wanna be hidin' behind the X-Men—workin' for somethin' ya don't believe in, Shelia? 'Cause that ain't the Rogue I know. The Rogue I know does whatever the hell she wants. She doesn't play nice."

Rogue made a face. "This time it's different."

"Is it? Or are you just tellin' yourself that so you won't feel so guilty when Magneto finds out you're thinkin' of jumpin' ship? Slick told me all about your line of work, Shelia. I know what you've been up to—and workin' with the X-Men isn't part of it." St. John shook his head and turned to go up front. Rogue took a deep breath before following.

Everything had seemed to change overnight. It was open season on mutants now. Bayville knew that she was a mutant—as well as the rest of the X-Men and the Brotherhood. There was a dangerous human who could control mutants and was out to destroy them as well. The world wasn't black and white anymore. Rogue had found the hues of grey she had so desperately wanted to avoid. Now she would have to choose sides…she couldn't sit on the sidelines and watch anymore. She couldn't keep up her vendetta against Mystique. The time for personal revenge was over. It was time to get serious and make a place for her self in the world.

It was time for Rogue to discover who she really was.

**A/N—Okay, I'm not sure this came out very well. I had a hard time conveying this chapter into words—simply because I'm sure everyone has seen the second movie, and I really didn't feel like being repetitious. Well that, and I wanted to bring a little more insight on some of the other characters as well as Rogue…but I'm not sure that's what I did. In my defense I've caught the flu, so I feel like crap and the medicine is affecting me more than I thought it would. I'm already working on the next chapter, but I don't know when it'll be done. Midterms are around the corner.**


	39. Ruse

**Disclaimer: Still not mine.**

**Chapter 38-Ruse**

Warren looked up from his spot on the slimy sewer ground as Evan and Callisto entered the secret hideout. Both faces were grim, indicating that whatever they had discovered had been bad.

"Well?" asked Warren getting to his feet. "What did you find?"

Evan sighed. "The mansion has been destroyed. Only two walls were left standing—it looks like a war zone. But we didn't find anyone."

"I did sense that another group escaped before they could be caught…but other than that I couldn't sense much else. There were too many things going on at once to pin down any one person," said Callisto with a shake of her head. "For now it is best that we wait and see."

"Wait and see?" repeated Warren making a face. "You want us to hide out in the sewers until…until what?"

Hank stepped forward to speak. "They're right, Warren. There is nothing we can do until we receive word from Ororo, Logan, or the Professor. We don't have any idea where our friends could be—or where some of them were taken to."

"It shouldn't matter," snapped Piotr emerging from the shadows. "Our friends need us. We cannot stand by and wait…they are in danger, and we may be the only ones who can save them."

Ray stood up from his spot on the ground. "The guy's right—we can't just stay here waiting. We could end up here for the rest of our lives doing that."

"It's too dangerous!" protested Amara jumping into the fray. "What can we do to help the others? Look at us—there aren't that many of us left! We aren't even that powerful. What chance do we have against the military?"

Roberto frowned thoughtfully. "Amara's right. Scott, Jean, Ororo, Logan—heck, even Bobby and St. John are more powerful than us when we practice in the Danger Room. Rogue's even tougher than us. We haven't learned to control our powers yet—we'd be killed the second we tried to infiltrate wherever it is the others are now."

Piotr shook his head. "But we cannot leave them to die either…what if we are all that is left of the X-Men? Do we not owe it to ourselves to try and rescue our comrades? Or shall we give up before we even start?"

"Piotr, we all understand your concern—we share the same fear for the lives of our friends as you do," started Hank placing a giant hand on the Russian's shoulder, "but what can we do? We wouldn't even know where to start looking. The best thing we can do now is sit and wait until we hear something from the topside to indicate that the time to act has arrived."

"But we are X-Men," argued Piotr firmly.

"No we aren't," muttered Amara. "We're just kids."

**Bayville:**

Irene stared sightlessly at the rubble of the mansion grounds. She didn't need her eyes to see what damage had been inflicted here. She could smell the smoke rising off the ground still, she could smell the char of burnt grass, and she could hear the murmurs of people as they crowded around to inspect the one time shelter for mutants.

Turning away, Irene used her cane to lead her down the sidewalk and back towards town. She didn't need her eyes to see what the destroyed mansion meant. War had come at last between humans and mutants.

The X-Men were missing, hiding, and disbanded for the time being. The Brotherhood was hiding, yet stronger than ever. Magneto had escaped from his prison. Stryker, the mutant scientist, was finally fixing the "mutant problem". The President of the United States had holed up in the Oval Office, refusing to say anything about the latest turn of events in Bayville.

Yet, Irene wasn't worried. No, she was excited for the future. The First Prophecy was beginning to unfold. Yes, the war had come, but it was only a small flame compared to what would take place in the months to come. Humans hadn't even begun to know fear yet…but they would. The whole world would tremble when He arrived.

Yes, Doomsday wasn't far off anymore. It was right around the corner.

**The Blackbird:**

Rogue let out a tired breath as she made her way up to the front of the jet. She took a seat and glanced beside her to where Kurt was sitting. She blinked twice before allowing a small smile to form on her lips. "You're alright," she murmured in amazement.

Kurt nodded. "Yeah, I am. I heard you were worried about me."

Rogue squirmed in her seat. "Yeah…you're not gonna hug meh are ya?"

"I was thinking about it—but I think I'll wait 'till we're on the ground again. Ororo's a scary driver in this thing. I almost puked twice since leaving the church."

"Thanks for sharing," muttered Bobby from his seat behind Rogue.

"So, uh, where are we headed?" called out St. John curiously.

Ororo grimaced. "Back to the mansion…or whatever's left of it. We haven't been able to get a hold of the Professor yet—or anyone else for that matter."

"What's _left _of the mansion?" asked Rogue with a frown.

Jean nodded. "Apparently Stryker and his boys thought it would be a good idea to blow the mansion up. It's been all over the news that mutants were detained and their base of operations destroyed."

"And the President just let it go at that?" demanded Logan.

"Well, it seems the President has yet to make a speech on what has happened since the…assassination attempt," replied Ororo with a small sigh. "But when he does decide to speak, you can be sure he will have a good story prepared for the actions of the government and military."

"Great." Logan clamped his mouth shut and settle back in his seat as the jet flew through the sky silently. He looked ready to say something else when a beep began to sound from the scanner. "What's that?" he questioned.

In reply a voice came over the wireless. "Unidentified aircraft, you must descend to twenty thousand feet and follow us to Westchester Airbase. I repeat, lower your altitude and land at Westchester Airbase."

"Someone sounds cranky to me," muttered Kurt crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"Gee, I wonder why?" grumbled Logan shooting St. John an ominous look. The Aussie shrugged helplessly.

"They're falling back," murmured Ororo in surprise. Bobby glanced out his window in surprise.

"They can't be giving up that easily," he said almost to himself.

"Shit! They've locked onto us!" announced Jean as the beeping on the scanners began to sound out of control. Ororo's eyes widened as her hands thrust the controls of the jet forward, shooting the giant bird at a faster speed.

"I think we need to cool things off, Ororo," stated Logan as he buckled himself up. Ororo nodded absently and her eyes went white as the sky around them darkened. The teens in the back began to buckle themselves as well just as four wind funnels appeared amidst the black clouds and lightning. Rogue clutched her seat belt to her chest desperately, her gloves made it too hard for her to get the belt locked in properly. Instead she hoped against hope that she wouldn't need the belt.

The jet pitched and rolled through the air, maneuvering through a couple of loops that left Logan and St. John a little green in the faces. Then the beeping stopped.

"I think I've lost them," said Ororo with a tinge of surprise in her voice as her eyes returned to normal. Rogue frowned and glanced out the window. It couldn't have possibly been that easy to lose the two jets after them. A rapid beep echoed Rogue's thoughts almost immediately.

"Oh my god, we've got two missiles on our tails," gasped Ororo tightening her grip on the controls. The jet lurched forward, spinning wildly through the air, trying to outrun the missiles locked onto them.

Jean gulped as she sent her mind out towards the missiles. With intense concentration she centered her mind on the closer of the two weapons, becoming one with the deadly contraption. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she struggled to put out the stream of fire controlling the missile. Jean's head wrinkled slightly, and her eyes blazed red with fire as the missile faltered behind them, eventually losing power and plunging to the ground below harmlessly. Jean shook herself from her concentration with fear and surprise.

"The other one's gaining on us!" cried out Ororo. Rogue clutched her seat belt tighter to her chest as she watched Jean try to catch her breath. The southerner had a pretty good idea what Jean had just done—she had opened herself to the power hidden deep within her self, putting the red head, as well as everyone else in the jet, in danger.

"Crap!" Ororo's words echoed throughout the jet just as the missile hit the end of the Blackbird. Everyone was jerked forward with the hit, bouncing back hard into their seats as air rushed through the jet and out the open end. Rogue tried to gather the seat belt around her, but the air streaming out of the jet was too much for her, and she was sucked out as well.

"Rogue!" hollered Bobby moving to unlatch his own seatbelt.

"Don't even think about it!" shouted Logan looking backwards in fear. His eyes landed on the empty seat of Rogue just as Kurt vanished in a puff of smoke.

Rogue screamed as she flew through the air. She closed her eyes and was about to let go of her mind to another's when she felt a smaller body encompass hers. Rogue's eyes shot open just as Kurt transported them back into the jet. Logan instantly shot down a hand to Rogue's back, keeping it there in case she blew out again. Rogue struggled to catch her breath, tightening her grip around Kurt, afraid to let go.

By now the jet was headed in a direct nosedive towards the ground. Everyone glanced towards the back of the jet just as the metal seemed to close up and the jet began to slow.

"Jean?" asked Ororo.

"No way—I'm not that powerful!" protested the red head through gritted teeth. Before anyone else could offer an explanation the jet stopped in midair, the nose pointed directly at the ground. The mutants all looked straight ahead to see Magneto holding up a single hand with Mystique right beside him.

"I seem to have caught us a couple of mutants learning how to fly, my dear," chuckled the older mutant in amusement.

Mystique smirked in agreement. "One day they might even get it right," she murmured.

**Alkali Base:**

Professor Xavier opened his eyes tiredly. His head ached, and his mouth was parched in thirst. All that was forgotten when he looked up and caught sight of William Stryker.

"William," gasped out the Professor.

"Professor Xavier, it's so good to see you awakening finally. I thought perhaps you had gone off and died without accomplishing peace for humans," returned Stryker coolly.

Xavier made a face. "What are you planning, William? What do you want with my students?"

"I only want to make sure that my latest experiment is sure fire. You are the one I really wanted…well, your mind and that thing you call Cerebro."

"What—no. You can't be serious!" exclaimed Xavier as his mind comprehended what the man before him meant. Xavier tried to send his mind out towards Stryker's, but he grimaced in pain as a jolt struck him instead. With a groan the Professor realized there was nothing he could do now but hope that someone would come after him.

"I believe that once all mutants have been destroyed, humans will finally agree to live peacefully together. I will become a world wide hero in every aspect for getting rid of…a little pest problem that has plagued mankind for far too long. It's almost too bad that you won't be around to see it, Professor Xavier. You've tried to help mutants—but you failed, and now I will fix what you could not."

"You wanted me to cure your son—but that is not how it works, William. There is no cure to being a mutant. I tried to help your son, but he would not let me. You took him away before I could try anything else."

Stryker snorted. "Do you really believe you could have helped my son? He was a great illusionist—and he used that against my wife and I. My son hated us for sending him away to expert after expert in hopes that he could be cured. In the end, my wife took her own life to get rid of the images in her mind. My son is a murderer…and now I have no son. I have only a vision for the future. A future where humans will no longer fear mutants or losing their own minds or even dying a painful death. I am about to wipe out an entire race for the future of mankind."

"William, this is not the way to accomplish peace. It is genocide—you will not be seen as a hero…you will be seen as a murderer," murmured Xavier in a softer tone of voice.

"We shall see, shan't we, Professor? All that matters is that I will feel at peace with myself for doing what has to be done. May I introduce your partner? Mutant One-Four-Three at your service." Stryker motioned towards the doorway where Yuriko and a soldier entered pushing a man forward in a wheelchair.

The man in the wheelchair was thin and weak. His hands grasped the arms of his chair loosely; his head seemed to bounce up and down tiredly, even though his blue and green eyes looked as sharp as ever. On either side of his head was a line extending from his forehead to his ear in a circular shape with dots on both sides of those lines. This was Jason Wyngarde.

"My God, man, this is your son!" murmured Xavier shrinking back in disgust.

"You're wrong. My son is dead. This is only another specimen doing his duty." Stryker smiled proudly. "Mutants can be useful only as long as they can be controlled. That is their purpose in life—to serve humans until we can destroy them forever. I hope you enjoy, Professor Xavier, because this is one of your last moments on this planet."

Xavier watched as Stryker and Yuriko departed the room leaving the Professor alone with Jason. Taking a deep breath, Xavier steeled his mind for the inevitable. He knew the strengths and weaknesses of Jason's illusions…but he wasn't sure how long he would be able to stand up against the younger mutant without his own powers.

**Meanwhile:**

"What use does Stryker have for Professor Xavier?" asked Ororo. "It just doesn't make any sense."

Magneto sighed. "What you have to understand is that Charles' mind is very powerful. When Stryker was paying my infrequent visits to drill me on the mansion, he seemed very interested in Cerebro."

Jean frowned. "But why destroy the mansion if he wanted Cerebro?"

"All he wanted were bits and pieces of Cerebro to complete his version of it elsewhere. The man has a base of operations which I believe he has brought Charles. If Stryker does have a way to control mutants, then I would believe that he has his own mutant son, Jason Wyngarde, there to try and trick Charles into destroying every mutant in the world. Charles is the only one who could ever possibly know where all the mutants are."

"I don't like it," muttered Logan darkly. "He's gonna use Chuck to link up to all the mutants in the world and then what…actually kill us? How the hell does that man expect to get away with it?"

"You forget that he somehow roped one of your own precious X-Men into an attempt to kill the President of the United States. I would think that he has a very good chance at getting away with this type of genocide," replied Magneto.

"Then what are you proposing, Magneto?" questioned Ororo suspiciously.

"For the time being I think it would be best to work together—since Stryker seems to be a common enemy for both sides."

"Where do we even start?" asked Jean.

"I believe that one of you knows where Stryker may be working."

Logan shook his head. "I don't think so, bub. I might remember a bit here and there about the guy, but I don't know shit about what he's up to now."

"Whoever said we were talking about you?" retorted Mystique sharply. Logan turned to glare at her but followed her gaze over to the campfire where Rogue and Kurt were seated.

Rogue absently played with the fire by poking at it with a thin twig. Beside her sat Kurt. He hadn't left her side since he had saved her life. It was endearing, but Rogue wasn't sure what to make of it. She knew that she and Kurt had a long way to go to mend their relationship as brother and sister—and it wouldn't be easy with Mystique around.

"Thank-you," murmured Rogue after a while, "for savin' mah life today."

"That's what brothers are for," replied Kurt nonchalantly. He hesitated for half a second, "Um, Rogue, can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Are you really working with Magneto still?"

Rogue stiffened. "Ah don't know. Ah was…Ah guess Ah still am, but…Ah don't know anymore. It's complicated now. Revenge doesn't seem like everythin' ta meh anymore. Ah've kinda lost mah taste for it. Now all Ah want is ta be normal…or as normal as Ah cahn be considerin' mah powers."

"Do you still hate Mystique?"

"Ah think Ah always will," said Rogue softly. She turned to glance at Kurt who offered her a small smile just as Mystique, Jean, Ororo, Logan, and Magneto arrived by the fire. Bobby and St. John appeared as well with more wood in their arms.

"Kurt," started Jean gently, "I need to read your mind. We think you might have a suppressed memory of Stryker's base of operations."

"I…I guess." Kurt stood up and followed Jean a few feet away with the other adults, leaving Rogue, St. John, and Bobby alone by the fire. St. John shook his head and stalked off into the dark, muttering to himself.

Bobby glanced at Rogue as he sat down beside her. "How are you feeling?"

"Well, Ah've come ta the conclusion that Ah'm never flyin' again. Ah don't think it's mah kinda thing," said Rogue with a soft laugh.

"You scared the shit outta me with that. I thought we had lost you for again."

"Yeah, don't hold your breath, Bobby. Ah don't think Ah cahn go down that easy anymore. Destiny seems ta think Ah'm special or somethin'…Ah just wish Ah wouldn't hafta be put in some dangerous situations ta prove that fate needs meh for somethin' else."

"I wish you didn't either. How are you doing with Magneto and Mystique here?" asked Bobby.

Rogue shrugged. "Ah don't know. Ah haven't really talked with them…Ah don't wanna. Ah just wanna get the others ahn then stay as far away from the Brotherhood as Ah possibly cahn."

"Does this mean you're going to join the X-Men?"

"Ah don't know. Ah don't wanna be ohn anyone's side. Ah just…Ah just don't think workin' with Mags is the right thing either. Everything's changed. Ah feel like Ah owe y'all somethin' for takin' meh in no questions asked. Ahn besides," continued Rogue hurrying on, "someone has ta watch Kurt—that kid gets in more trouble than you ahn Evan used ta do combined."

Bobby chuckled. "It's nice to know you'll be sticking with us just to keep Kurt out of trouble. I'm glad, whatever reason keeps you here, I'm glad. You're always going to be a part of the X-Men, you know that, right?"

Rogue nodded silently as Bobby squeezed her hand. She watched him walk away before turning her attention back to the fire in front of her. Rogue wrapped her arms around her body as her mind drifted away in thought.

She wasn't sure what she wanted anymore. All she knew was that for now, the Brotherhood wasn't it. But she wasn't completely sure the X-Men were it either. Rogue felt lost and confused; something that was slowly becoming a normal feeling in her life. She could feel something coming, something dark and ominous; something even more dangerous than William Stryker and the end of mutant kind. A small part of Rogue knew it had to do with the prophecies that Destiny had talked about before.

But, another part of Rogue knew it had something to do with the person walking her way.

"Hey," said Jean taking a seat beside the southern girl.

"Hey. You took a gamble today with that missile," remarked Rogue still gazing into the fire.

"Yeah…I know." Jean lapsed into a momentary silence. "I've had dreams since Liberty Island. Every night I see fire and a bird…and feel so powerful…and so evil. It's almost as though my mind isn't my own—like I've lost control."

"Ah know how that feels. It's hard ta keep control when somethin' stronger wants to get out."

Jean glanced up at Rogue thoughtfully. "You're the only one who's actually ever experienced that part of my powers. Rogue, do you think I could gain control again if something happened and that…dark side of me was let loose?"

"Ah think ya could if ya had somethin' ta fight for," replied Rogue softly. "Like maybe a certain someone."

"Scott?"

"Come on, Jeanie, everyone in Bayville knew you two were crazy 'bout each other. It's not a big secret."

"I'm just worried. I feel like something's going to happen tomorrow. Something that will change who I am as a person—and it scares me. I don't want to lose control, Rogue. I'm an X-Man, I always have been…and that's what I want to be. But I don't think the hidden part of me wants to do the right thing. It's almost like it wants to destroy everything and anything in its path."

"Jean, you're powerful. Ahn Ah'm not just talkin' 'bout the scary, fire breathin' part of ya. You're heart will know right from wrong. Ya just hafta fight. Ah fight all the time with mahself. It gets easy afta a while," stated Rogue. "Ya just cahn't give up ohn yourself. What kinda role model would ya be if ya did that, huh?"

Jean sighed. "I guess you're right. I just…I don't want to fight alone. I'm not strong enough on my own—not like you, Rogue. I'm used to having someone there for me. That's why the X-Men were a perfect fit when I developed my powers. I'm a team player."

"You're never alone, Jean. Look at all the losers y'all have in the mansion. Ya have enough ta make up a real sports team. The Professor told meh that ya just have ta trust yourself…ahn the X-Men. He made it seem like no matter what happens y'all got that Musketeer crap down pat. Ya know the 'one for all, ahn all for one' thing? Ah don't think Scott ahn 'em would let ya go without a fight."

"Thank-you, Rogue. That means a lot to me."

"Yeah, but could ya not tell Kurt that Ah cahn be that mushy? The kid refuses ta leave meh alone now."

Jean smiled. "Your secret's safe with me. I owe you for keeping mine."

**The Next Day:**

Taking a deep breath Rogue boarded the jet and made her way towards her seat. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Magneto and Mystique sharing some kind of joke.

"Is somethin' funny?" demanded Rogue turning to glare at the two mutants.

"Nothing, my dear, we were just noticing that you had done your hair differently. I hadn't noticed it before, but white is quite striking on you. It makes you unique," replied Magneto cheerfully.

Something inside Rogue snapped. This man was supposed to be on her side, not sharing jokes with Mystique—the woman he claimed to hate. Yet here he was flirting with the shape shifter as if everything was right as rain with her, and provoking Rogue. She figured it had something to do with her shirking her duties as one of Magneto's underlings.

With a muttered oath under her breath Rogue pulled off a glove and moved forward towards the two people she was coming to despise most in the world. Rogue stopped in her tracks as Bobby pulled her into his arms and pushed her towards the front of the jet, murmuring that now wasn't the time for revenge.

St. John watched with little interest as Bobby led Rogue away. He had a hunch the southern belle had finally switched sides, even if she didn't realize it yet. Instead the Aussie turned to look over at the man known as Magneto and the dangerous shape shifter at his side.

"So you're the enemy, huh, mate? You don't look so tough to me. Your helmet makes you look like a dork," said St. John without blinking.

Magneto exchanged a knowing look with Mystique. Despite Rogue's flaws as a trusted confidant, she had obviously done well in getting the Aussie to question being an X-Man. "This helmet protects from the true enemy, my boy. Who exactly are you, anyway?"

"St. John Allerdyce, at your service."

"Is that your real name? Or do you have another?" Magneto smirked and whisked St. John's Zippo out of the teen's hands using his power of magnetism.

"They call me Pyro, but I can't start fires without that lighter," replied St. John quietly. To prove his point the red head extended a hand over the open flame and came away with a small fire ball in his hands.

"Pyro is a fitting name for a god. Manipulation is only the start, Pyro, but I see greatness in your future if you follow the right path."

St. John nodded absently as Magneto handed him his lighter. The teen boy got to his feet, and thoughtfully made his way to his seat in the front of the jet. He had a lot of thinking to do.

**The Illusion:**

Professor Xavier soothed the young girl in his arms, waiting for her to speak to him.

"I want to find them again," she said in between sniffles. "I want to find all the mutants."

"I promise, we'll find all of them," replied the Professor. "Come, let us go to Cerebro. Only then will we find our friends again, okay?"

The young girl nodded and allowed the Professor to put her back on her feet. With a sly smile on her face the girl turned to follow the Professor down the halls of the mansion.

**Alkali Base:**

"So this is Alkali Lake?" asked St. John. "What's with all the snow? How the hell am I supposed ta start a fire?"

"You're not starting any fires, kid," replied Logan gruffly. "You, Bobby, and Rogue will be staying here while the rest of us deal with Stryker."

"Wait a minute, then why does Kurt get to go? We're older than him," pointed out Bobby with a frown.

Jean smiled. "Yeah, but he's a teleporter. We'll need that inside."

"They've got a point, sugah," murmured Rogue. "'Sides, someone has ta watch the jet."

"Yeah, but don't touch anything," agreed Logan looking directly at St. John. "And don't start any fires, got it?"

Ororo stared at the blueprints of Alkali base in front of her. "How on earth are we supposed to get through the spillway without them flooding us out?"

Magneto grinned. "Apparently you've never realized exactly what Mystique is capable of."

**Somewhere Inside Alkali Base:**

Jubilee kicked her foot against wall angrily. She jumped back at the shock she received. "This is stupid! What the hell does the military want with us?" she demanded.

Kitty shrugged from her position in the middle of the floor. Her entire body ached from trying to phase through the walls earlier. It hadn't worked, and so she had given up to comfort Jamie instead. The young boy was exhausted and only wanted Rogue to come rescue him. "They've thought everything through. There's no way outta here."

"Not alive anyway," muttered Rahne dropping down to her knees. "When will the X-Men come get us?"

"What makes ya so sure they will?" drawled out Sam with a sigh. "We don't even know if anyone got out alive—or if they're locked up somewhere else."

"Man, you totally know how to bring everyone down," remarked Jubilee darkly.

"Yeah, but it's the truth. We got hit harder than we've been hit so far. Don't y'all realize what happened? It's a war now! If we ever get outta here we're gonna be training for battle—school isn't the scariest thing out there anymore! Humans are!" Sam shook his head and turned his back on his friends to stare at the wall.

Kitty took a deep breath to keep her tears from falling. She had never felt so scared before in her entire life. She would gladly deal with Rogue's temper than with the man known as Stryker. The Brotherhood seemed like kittens compared to Stryker.

"They're coming for us," announced Jamie confidently as his eyes blinked open. "We're X-Men—we don't leave anyone behind!"

**Elsewhere:**

"Alright," conceded Logan reluctantly, "she's good."

"A compliment, Wolverine? I didn't think I would live to ever hear something like that ever leave your lips," murmured Mystique with a smirk.

"Fuck you."

"Oh my God, the children! We have to get them out of there!" exclaimed Ororo pointing up towards one of the monitors. "I'll take Kurt with me."

"Okay, and I'll go with Magneto and Mystique to find the Professor," added Jean.

"You'll be okay with them?" asked Ororo quietly.

Jean shrugged. "If Rogue can handle them then I think I'll manage. What about you, Logan? What are you going to do?"

Logan pointed at another monitor showing Stryker and an Asian woman escaping. "I have an overdue business call to make," he said.

"Then it's settled," murmured Magneto. "We better get moving before we gain any more unwelcome visitors."

Ororo led Kurt down a hallway, searching every which way for the missing students. She stopped shortly after hearing a couple of young voices arguing. "Children?" she called out cautiously.

"Storm!"

"Storm, over here!"

"Look down!"

Ororo and Kurt crouched down by the grate where two hands rose up to greet them. With a sharp nod Kurt teleported himself down into the cell, surprising the teens inside.

"Kurt!" Kitty was the first one on her feet as she flung herself into Kurt's arms, squeezing him tightly. "Don't you ever scare me like that again, you fuzzy elf!"

"I won't, I promise," murmured Kurt hugging Kitty back tightly. "Now let's get out of here, huh?"

On the other side of the building Logan strode through a doorway, following his nose. He could smell Stryker and another mutant nearby. Before Logan could pinpoint the location of the scent his eyes were directed to what was already in the room. Sitting close to the wall was a rectangular tank filled with water. Hanging directly above it was a metal grate on chains. On one end of the tank was a small square basin filled with a bubbly metallic liquid. Logan sniffed the air curiously as he edged closer to the basin. Whatever it was it smelled hot and metallic.

Logan touched one of the injectors hooked up to the metal liquid, and a memory flashed through his brain. He recoiled at the memory of sitting up in the tank, his body covered in blood from the claws in his knuckles. Shaking away the vision, Logan glanced up at the wall where x-rays of various body parts were situated. In almost each one he could see metal mixed with bone.

"Amazing, isn't it?" asked Stryker. Logan turned around to stare at the man he had once known.

"What did you do to me?" demanded Logan angrily.

"Only what you allowed me to do. You were made into a weapon, Wolverine. You volunteered your body to this experiment with the promise that you wouldn't remember a single thing in the future. It worked—but too well. You ran off, Wolverine, you ran off and joined the X-Men after some soul searching. Do you sleep better at night knowing that all the lives you took in the past can be rectified by working to save the future? If you knew the kind of man you once were, you'd wish you dead, Wolverine."

"You're gonna wish you were dead long before I get through with you," vowed Logan as his claws shot out of his knuckles.

"You know, there was a time when I thought there wasn't a mutant out there who could come close to replacing you. After a few failed experiments, I found out I was wrong." Stryker chuckled and shook his head. The older man turned to leave as the Asian woman appeared out of the shadows. "Wolverine, meet Lady Deathstrike. You two are a match made in heaven."

Logan grunted as he studied the clear faced woman standing in front of him. Her eyes were unusually bright, and her smile twisted. She wiggled her fingers at her side as the nails extended further out into sharp claws.

"Aw shit," murmured Logan to himself. He could tell this fight wouldn't be easy.

Meanwhile, in yet another part of the underground base, Jean followed behind Magneto and Mystique at a quick pace. She could sense that time was of the essence. But there was something else bothering her. They weren't alone. Someone was up ahead. Jean extended her mind to feel what they were up against, and her eyes widened in surprise.

"Move!" Jean shoved Magneto and Mystique to the ground with her powers just a strong beam of kinetic energy blasted through the spot that the two mutants had been standing. "Keep going, I'll deal with this!"

"Come, my dear, this quarrel has nothing to do with us," said Magneto as he and Mystique got to their feet. Jean watched as the pair quickly vanished down the hallway, but her eyes were already settling on Scott.

"Scott? It's me, Jean. You don't want to do this, Scott." Jean ducked out of the way as Scott shot another beam of energy her way. Just as Scott tried to shoot at her again Jean waved a hand through the air sending a few crates in his way. The crates broke on contact as Jean turned to run down the hallway. She stopped short upon seeing that her path was blocked.

Jean turned around just as Scott rounded the corner. With bated breath she watched his hand reach up to his visor and click the button keeping his powers at bay. Jean shot her hands forward, using all her powers to protect herself from his blast. The momentum of the blast slid Jean a few feet backwards, but she gritted her teeth and took a single step forward using her powers to send the bulk of Scott's blast back at him. Jean didn't think she could hold on for much longer when she felt a fire within her break free. Her eyes blazed and her body began to glow a red color as Jean effortlessly let loose a powerful tremor of fire and energy throughout the underground base.

Scott was knocked off his feet as the tremor shook the entire base. Jean screeched and dropped to the ground as a piece of cement slammed down onto her leg.

"Jean?" Scott scrambled to his feet and ran over to Jean. He pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly. "I'm so sorry, Jean. I didn't want to hurt you, but I couldn't stop myself."

"It's okay, Scott. I'm just glad that you're alright," whispered Jean as a single tear slid down her cheek. Inside her she could feel raw power raging out of control.

**Outside:**

Rogue played with the hem of her jacket nervously, her eyes studying the white X on the side. She hated just sitting here doing nothing. She wanted to be inside inflicting pain on the humans that were trying to wipe out her kind. But Rogue also wanted the X-Men to trust her, and the only way to gain that trust would be to follow orders and stay put. Besides, she wasn't the only one stuck behind.

St. John flipped his Zippo shut in irritation. "That's it; I'm through with this shit. I ain't a kid, mates. I'm goin' in."

"They told us to stay put," said Bobby. "They could be on their way back by now."

"Good, then I'll meet 'em halfway."

"Jonny, don't push it," murmured Rogue. "We don't even know what they're up against in there."

"Save it for someone who cares, Rogue. You ain't as tough as you made everyone believe. Here you are sittin' quietly an' hopin' the big, bad, Magneto doesn't come after you. You're scared shitless, Shelia, an' you know it. You never did what you were told before, so why start now?" St. John shook his head and trudged off the jet and into the snow.

Rogue gulped as she sat back in her seat, her eyes staring at the exit. What was wrong with her?

**Meanwhile:**

Logan arched his back in pain as he felt Lady Deathstrike jab her claws into his back. He had thought he had beaten her when he had knocked her into the tank of water and cut the metal grate to trap her inside. Apparently he had been wrong. Grinding his teeth together, Logan reached over towards the bubbling basin and grabbed one of the injectors.

Shooting forward Logan pulled the injector towards him and turned around just Lady Deathstrike stood up in the tank. The Asian woman leaped forward as Logan brought the injector into her gut. Lady Deathstrike's eyes widened in surprise as the hot liquid ran through her body.

Logan looked away as the woman's eyes cleared back to a soft brown color and silver tears ran down her cheeks and out of her nose and mouth. Tearing away the injector Logan watched as the woman fell lifelessly back down into the tank, sinking all the way to the bottom. It was done. Jumping to the ground Logan sprinted the way that Stryker had gone. Stryker wouldn't get away that easily.

**Elsewhere:**

Professor Xavier opened his mind even more, allowing himself to latch onto all the mutants in the world. He had been trying to find each and every mutant for the last half hour, but he was almost there.

"I think I've found them all," he murmured triumphantly.

The tiny girl beside him, the one with a single blue, and a single green eye nodded slowly. "Then kill them. Kill every single one of them," she whispered fearfully.

"Of course." Xavier nodded along absently and began the painstaking process of entering the minds of every mutant to shut down their brains.

Ororo and Kurt hurried down the passageway leading the small group of mutants behind them. Ororo's eyes widened in fear as a sharp pain entered her skull. She dropped to her knees, barely noticing the others already on the ground, clutching their heads in pain. Kurt held Kitty close as Rahne grasped Jamie's hand. Nearby Sam was yelling for the pain to stop.

Scott and Jean limped along another passageway when the pain reached them. Jean grabbed a hold of Scott as they slid to the ground together. She gasped aloud and buried her head in Scott's chest as he cried out in pain. They were too late.

Logan pushed open the doorway leading outside, but dropped to his knees with a strangled cry. Both hands went up to his temples as he tried to get back on his feet, but there was no use. He couldn't stand any longer.

St. John collapsed in the snow as the pain shot through his head. He twisted his body, trying to take the pain out of his head, but it didn't work. All he wanted now was to die.

Rogue gasped in surprise and lurched to the ground just as Bobby did. The two teens writhed in pain. Rogue curled up into the fetal position while Bobby reached a hand out to grasp her own. She tightened her grip on his hand, afraid to let go in case it meant dying alone.

Far off in the sewers of Bayville the X-Men and Morlocks were undergoing the same thing. Roberto grabbed Amara's hand, letting her know she wasn't alone. Spike struggled through his own pain to watch his fellow Morlocks carefully. He was one of their leaders, he wouldn't show pain. He would be strong for them. Warren wrapped his wings around his body, trying to stay on his feet. Ray fell to the ground, screaming aloud as Hank wrapped his hands around the rungs of a ladder leading to the topside, too afraid to let go. Piotr slid to the ground, his body shifting between his metal form and that of his human form. All were wishing for sudden death.

Elsewhere in Westchester the Brotherhood was undergoing a similar fate. Tabitha screamed and fell backwards into Lance's arms. The two teens fell to the ground, not bothering to notice the crowds of people around them at the mall. No one knew what was going on. In the food court Fred and Toad experienced the same sharp pain in their own heads. Fred crashed down into a couple of tables as Toad leaped into the air wildly, trying to outrun the pain. Pietro shot up in pain, his scream drowning out the screams of the movie on the big screen. He stood up and then collapsed to the ground, his hands pressed over his ears. Wanda gritted her teeth and slid to the ground of the restroom she was in, ignoring the dark looks that the other women were giving her. She would not scream.

Forge fell out of his chair, startling his parents when the pain reached him. They rushed to his side, questions spurting out of their mouths, but the teen couldn't seem to hear them. All he could hear was a buzzing sound in his head that wouldn't go away.

In another part of town Amanda was barely sitting down on the couch beside her mother when a sharp pain entered her head. Both women screamed as they grabbed a hold of each other. Amanda gasped as she felt something deep within her mind break open. Whatever it was she knew that her mother had a lot of explaining to do if they both managed to live.

Sabertooth dropped to his knees instantly, letting out an animal like howl. Beside him Juggernaut and Sinister were on the ground, crying out in pain as well. Sinister dug his hands into the ground, refusing to die before he could obtain eternal glory.

Remy was playing cards when the pain reached him. His eyes widened in pain and he dropped his arms to the ground, clutching his head as he slumped in his seat. The players around him shrank back in fear as the Cajun began to let loose a terrified yell.

Mystique walked beside Magneto confidently and surveyed the dead soldiers before her. They were stupid to carry around loaded grenades on them with mutants around in the world. Then, without warning, Mystique dropped to the ground, emitting a sharp scream. Magneto glanced back in horror as Mystique began to shift back and forth between the various forms she had used over the years.

"Eric, go!" she screamed out clutching both hands to her head. Magneto nodded and turned towards the door that led into the second version of Cerebro. With a sweep of his hands the doors flew open and Magneto stepped inside. He chuckled cynically as his eyes locked with Jason's. The older mutant tapped the helmet on his head and walked forward to pat Charles on the shoulder. Jason stopped his illusion and Xavier relinquished control of all mutant minds, stopping the pain immediately.

"Aw, Charles, how does it feel to be fighting like this? Do you still believe peace is possible? They aren't playing by your rules, Charles; perhaps you should play by theirs." Magneto gave a small wave of his hand and Mystique entered the room, shifting into Stryker. She leaned down beside Jason and began to whisper in the mutant's ear conspiratorially.

The tides of battle had just shifted.

**A/N: This one took an entire day to come up with, simply because there was a lot that needed to be included. But I hope it turned out alright. **


	40. Grief

**Disclaimer: Obviously this still isn't mine.**

**Chapter 39-Grief**

Logan was moving through the snow the moment the pain within his head had subsided. He could smell Stryker up ahead of him. Logan didn't even breathe as he brought three of his claws up into Stryker's armpit. The military man howled in pain, stumbling backwards into Logan.

"You weren't thinking of leaving without saying good-bye, were you?" hissed Logan.

"Let go of me!"

"I don't think so. You and I have some unfinished business to attend to." In the distance an alarm went off, echoing throughout the snowy valley. "What the hell is that?"

"That, my friend, is the sound of the dam breaking. Any moment your friends will be drowned out of the underground base forever. There's nothing you can do for them now—come with me, Wolverine, and I'll tell you everything you want to know about your past. I have the answers—not some mutant children," spat out Stryker. "You're not like them."

"No, but I'm nothing like you, asshole." Logan turned Stryker around to face him as he stuck another set of claws into Stryker's other armpit. "If we die, so do you." Logan tossed Stryker to the ground and grabbed the helicopter chain from the snow. With quick movements Logan anchored the injured man to the wheel of the helicopter and then turned to run back inside the base.

**Meanwhile:**

Rogue slowly sat up with some help from Bobby. She glanced around the jet in horror, realizing how close to death they had just come. With a deep breath she turned to stare at the open walkway that St. John had disappeared out of moments earlier. He was right. She couldn't just sit here and do nothing.

Scrambling to her feet Rogue ran over to the walkway and shut it, before turning towards Bobby. "We hafta do somethin'."

"Like what?" asked Bobby shaking his head slightly. "We aren't exactly intimidating mutants. We can't just walk into that base and expect the humans to run for cover."

"Ah was thinkin' more along the lines of a rescue mission," murmured Rogue. She gently pushed past the blonde teen and took a seat in the pilot's chair.

"Oh boy, you're crazy, Rogue. You don't even know how to fly this thing."

"Do you?" Rogue sighed as Bobby shook his head once more. "Then Ah guess now's a good as time as any ta learn how ta fly, don't ya think?"

Gulping, Bobby took the seat beside Rogue and eyed the controls in front of them carefully. "We're gonna be in so much trouble later."

"If we don't die in the process," replied Rogue wryly. She gave Bobby a reassuring smile and moved her hands to hover over a set of buttons. "So which one do ya think turns this baby ohn?"

**At the Same Time:**

Stryker struggled with a weakened arm to pull the chain off of him. He was nearly free when a sharp pain shot through his brain. "No! It's…impossible!" choked out the military man as he tried to stay conscious. The pain intensified as Stryker began to convulse out of control.

In the White House the President clutched his skull, praying to God that the pain end. He opened his mouth in a soundless scream, cursing Stryker and mutants worldwide in the same breath.

Back in Bayville Principal Kelly dropped to the ground of his office, howling like there was no tomorrow. Both hands were on either side of his head, trying to drown out the noise, but to no avail. Kelly vowed to make all mutants pay if he managed to live after this moment.

**Elsewhere:**

Jean limped along the hallway with the help of Scott. Her mind felt heavy with extra burdens, but she brushed away her fears the second she and Scott came across Ororo leading the pack of missing teens. Both groups glanced down the adjoining hall where a somewhat familiar door stood.

"It's the Professor," said Jean in surprise after using her mind to probe what was beyond the doorway. "Jason has him stuck in an illusion still."

"I thought you said Magneto and Mystique were supposed to be putting a stop to that," murmured Scott with a frown.

Jean sent her mind back towards that of the Professor's and gasped. "He's still hooked up to Cerebro—but this time he's targeting all the humans."

"I knew we shouldn't have trusted them," muttered Ororo darkly. She turned to Kurt. "I need you to teleport me inside so we can get the Professor out alive."

Kurt gulped. "Alright, but just so you know I want a bigger allowance for this."

"You've got yourself a deal." Ororo reached a hand out towards Kurt and the two quickly vanished in a puff of smoke.

Ororo blinked in surprise as she and Kurt came face to face with a small girl wearing nothing more than a nightgown inside of Cerebro. The Professor was nowhere to be seen.

"Hello. Who are you?" asked the girl.

"Is she real?" asked Kurt in a hoarse whisper.

"Not even close," replied Ororo as her eyes turned white. "I'm gonna cool things off, Kurt, so don't move." A sharp wind pierced through the bodies of the three visible beings inside the circular room. Following it came a mixture of sleet and snow.

The girl shivered and wrapped her arms around her body, trying to ward off the sudden drop in temperature. "Stop it!" she cried out. Ororo cocked her head thoughtfully as the wind began to blow stronger. The girl gave out a shriek and vanished with the wind. Ororo let go of her control over the weather just as the Professor and Jason appeared.

The Professor blinked in surprise and quickly tore off the helmet on his head. Wordlessly he turned in his seat to see Kurt and Ororo staring right back at him with relief in their eyes.

"I think it's time to get out of here," announced Kurt as an alarm sounded throughout the base. The room trembled in reply, and a chunk of the ceiling came crashing down, barely missing the Professor. Time was running out.

**Outside:**

Magneto chuckled as he and Mystique made their way outside. Sitting tied beneath the helicopter was William Stryker, and it seemed the man was still convulsing from the results of Xavier's mind control.

"It is most unfortunate that you will die here, Mr. Stryker. At one time I might have considered you a worthy opponent. Now you are nothing more than a mere insect about to be crushed to death." Magneto waved a flippant hand, causing the chains to unravel from the helicopter and carry Stryker to a nearby piece of wall. The moment Stryker was latched tightly against the cement wall Magneto boarded the helicopter along with Mystique.

"We should be out of here in no time," said Mystique flipping switches on. Magneto took a seat beside her and moments later the helicopter was in the air. Mystique glanced up from her controls and did a retake in surprise. She exchanged a look with Magneto before turning back to the shivering figure of the mutant Pyro.

"It seems your daughter wasn't a hopeless case after all," murmured Magneto thoughtfully. Mystique smirked and lowered the helicopter once more.

This time when the helicopter rose into the sky, St. John stood inside looking out at the base for the last time. This was where he belonged.

**Back Inside:**

Scott hurried as fast as he could with the Professor in his arms. In front of him the rest of their rag tag group was running at a fast pace towards the spillway. Everyone had some idea what the alarms meant. The dam was breaking, and they needed to get out before it was too late.

Just as the group reached the spillway entrance, the large doors began to shut. Scott glanced over to the side to see Logan pulling his claws out of the control box.

"Trust me," started the older mutant, "that ain't the way out. I know a better one." Turning on his heels Logan motioned for the mutants to follow him down another hallway. The group ran faster, breathing in relief as they were led outside into the crisp air and white snow.

Logan cursed, his eyes staring at an empty helicopter landing pad. "Shit! It was just here! The 'copter was just here!"

"Now what do we do?" asked Kitty clutching Kurt's arm. Jean opened her mouth to speak, but instead turned to glance up into the sky. A small smile formed on her lips as a rush of wind hit the group. From the trees rose the blackbird, if not a little precariously. The giant jet hovered in the air a brief second before turning in the group's direction and flying towards them. Then, just as suddenly as it had taken off from the ground, the jet quickly landed on the ground hard, sending snow flying every which way.

"I knew she had it in her," murmured Jean to herself. The red head took a deep breath to calm her churning mind and began the trek towards the jet. Behind her she could sense Logan picking up Jamie in his arms as the rest of the group ran towards the jet.

Ororo was the first one on the jet, rushing over to Rogue's side as Bobby set about getting the rest of the teens seated and buckled. Ororo placed her own hands over Rogue's gloved ones, and spoke in a soothing tone of voice to relieve the shaking girl.

"It's okay, Rogue, you can let go now."

Rogue nodded once and slowly let go of the controls. Her body continued to shake from the shock and fear of being up in the air and trying to control something so large and powerful. "Ah don't like flyin'," she murmured after a moment. "Ah don't ever wanna fly again."

"At least not without a few lessons on how to work this thing," replied Scott as he and Kurt helped the Professor into the co-pilot's seat.

"No flyin' ever again—ever. Ah wasn't meant ta fly. Ah'm meant to be ohn the ground." Rogue allowed Bobby to help her out of her seat and towards her own, still muttering about it being unnatural to be in the air like a bird.

Meanwhile, outside Logan walked over to a slab of cement, still holding Jamie in his arms. Tied down to the cement was William Stryker. The military man looked up at Logan as he approached.

"I have the answers, Wolverine; I have all the answers you'll ever need."

"No, you only have the answers to part of my past. There's another part that I don't know about—and that's the part I'd rather find on my own. You say you made me into a weapon, well, I have a feeling that I have a bigger role in someone else's life," replied Logan with a straight face. "And I think I owe it to myself to find out if I can still have that part of my life in the future."

"You're nothing without me, Wolverine!"

"I'll take my chances, fucker." Logan shook his head and shifted Jamie onto his back as the two turned their backs on Stryker, heading towards the jet. Logan took a deep breath and for the first time in his life felt free from his sins of the past. The most important thing now wasn't finding out who he had been before he became Wolverine—it was finding out the truth about Rogue. Whether or not he was really her father, Rogue needed someone in her life to be a parent. And Logan wasn't about to let her down like everyone else before him.

On the jet Logan found nothing but chaos. Ororo was desperately trying to get the jet to start up again. Jean and Scott were moving around trying various options and controls, but nothing seemed to be working. Logan glanced down at Rogue who seemed to still be catching her breath.

"Hey," started the southerner suddenly, "where's St. John?"

Jean glanced up and instantly knew the Aussie's whereabouts without having to probe the grounds. "Magneto."

Rogue closed her eyes and sat back in her seat wearily. It was all her fault. St. John had gone to the enemy because she had driven him towards it. All those months of trying to get him on the side of the Brotherhood, and now that he was... all Rogue could feel was remorse for everything she had ever done. She wasn't sure that she would ever feel right about her self ever again—not after this.

Jean sighed wearily as well. Her head hurt, her heart hurt, and her entire body felt like it was shutting down of its own accord. Around her she could sense the fear, the despair, and anger welling up inside her friends. She barely comprehended the fact that the Professor was murmuring to Scott, saying they needed to get to the White House straightaway to fix the repercussions of today's actions. Jean leaned back against a wall of the jet, her mind constantly buzzing.

Outside, she could feel the dam breaking. She could sense the water itching to be free. She could sense two lost souls still inside the underground base. And Jean could sense another soul watching, waiting. Her eyes fluttered shut briefly, allowing the thoughts within her mind to swirl to the surface. She couldn't stay in control for much longer—and if she did lose control all hell would break loose. With a deep breath Jean opened her eyes and glanced back towards the ramp leading off the jet. There was only one way to make everything right.

Rogue snapped out of her reverie as a single personality in her mind swirled around anxiously. With a chill running down her spine Rogue turned and locked eyes with Jean. The red head lowered her eyes, but not before Rogue had seen a small spark of fire within them. Wordlessly the southerner watched as Jean turned and limped painfully towards the back of the jet. Rogue's lips parted slightly, but her mouth was too parched to speak. She knew exactly what Jean had planned—she didn't have to be a mind reader for that.

Struggling to form a coherent word, Rogue finally whispered, "Jean."

Scott glanced down at Rogue with a small frown before realizing that Jean was missing. His face paled as he turned to run towards the ramp. "Jean!" He pounded on the metal door as it shut in his face. "Jean, come back here!"

"What's she doing?" demanded Logan glancing out the front window as Jean limped through the snow. The slender teen raised a hand in the air, lifting the jet off the ground, and bringing the controls to life.

"We can't leave without her!" shouted Scott running back towards the front.

"I'm not in control here!" replied Ororo, tears forming in her eyes.

Kurt closed his eyes and then opened them in fear. "She won't let me use my powers!"

Rogue hopped out her seat, screaming. "Jeanie, you cahn't do this! It's too dangerous!"

The Professor closed his eyes, his voice speaking for Jean. "There's no other way. We must continue the fight for peace. I know what I'm doing…you have to trust me. Scott, I just want you to know that it's always been you. I've always loved you…and I will never stop loving you." The Professor woke from his chance, his face falling at the meaning of Jean's words. She was going to sacrifice herself for the chance of peace between mutants and humans. She was giving up everything for the sake of others.

"Jean!" Scott screamed hoarsely as the jet rose higher into the air, and Jean put out another hand to prevent rushing water from engulfing her.

Rogue shook her head and took a step back as Jean's voice whispered inside her mind. "You're the only one who knows what I've been going through. You're the only one who can understand that if I stay I'll hurt the ones I love. I can't control who I am, Rogue, just like you can't always control who you are. Thank-you for letting me in, I won't forget it."

Falling back into her seat Rogue stared wordlessly out the window as Jean closed her eyes and lowered her hands, letting the water swirl over her. Tears streamed down her face as she brought her gloved hands up to her mouth, choking back a sob. Here was yet another soul she had influenced, another person that she owed a great deal of gratitude for never giving up on her, and now that person was gone. Rogue wasn't sure if she would ever find a way to one day show the world how grateful she was to have found someone who shared Rogue's fear of ultimate power without treating her any different.

Scott let loose a loud sob as Logan pulled the teen into his arms, taking the angry punches without a word. Ororo lowered her head as tears streamed down her face while the Professor brought a shaking hand up to his forehead. Bobby's own face was tearstained as he reached down and pulled Rogue into his arms, letting her cry into his jacket. In the back Kurt and Kitty held onto each other as Jubilee rocked Jamie in her arms. Both Rahne and Sam wiped away tears, neither one quite believing that Jean was really gone.

A small whisper was the only thing heard as Kurt recited a familiar prayer. "'The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want.'"

**The White House**

**The Next Day:**

President McKenna recited the words of his speech to himself as he made his way towards the Oval Office. He needed to find the right tone of voice to reach out to the public and let them know that everything was going to be okay. But the President hardly believed himself. Outside the White House human protestors were shouting about the bombing of a mutant safe house, while other protestors were angry that all mutants hadn't been locked up yet. It was a madhouse outside and inside now.

"Annihilation? Do we really want to use that word?" asked the President as he and his aide entered the Oval Office. The President smiled at the reporters and camera crew inside the office as he took his a seat behind his desk. He took a deep breath and waited for his cue. Then, he began to speak, looking directly at the camera, reading his speech from the live feed.

"Yesterday we experienced a threat greater than we have ever known before. Our very way of life was threatened. Today I sit before you to say that we have been given a moment—uh, did we just lose the feed?" President McKenna glanced up as the room darkened, but the camera man, the aides, and the reporters were all stock still. Lightning flashed outside, indicating a storm brewing. McKenna glanced out the window before turning back towards office. Something was off. He jumped to his feet as lightning flashed once more to reveal seven figures in the room, six of which were dressed in black uniforms of some kind.

"Who are you?" demanded the President angrily. His eyes narrowed as he caught sight of the blue demon that had attacked him days earlier. "What do you want?"

"Only a minute of your time, Mr. President. Yesterday was a most unfortunate event that should not have happened," said Professor Xavier from his seat in the wheelchair. "Yet, it could have been prevented had you not let your fears run away with your judgment. By placing your trust in William Stryker you have helped set forth into motion a war that has been brewing for years. It will take a lot of work from both sides of this war to bring peace and civility back to our nation. Rogue, would you be so kind as to hand the President the file?"

President McKenna watched fearfully as a young teen with white stripes in her brown hair stepped forward and placed a thick blue folder atop his desk. "What is this?" McKenna opened the folder and flipped through a couple of pages. His eyes widened as he lowered himself down into his seat. "Where did you get this? And how?"

"I know a girl who walks through walls. This file comes from the personal computer of Mr. Stryker. He has been planning the wipeout of the entire mutant race long before even you knew about mutants, Mr. President. And yesterday he almost succeeded. It is with a grave heart that I cannot say that our side is innocent either. There are mutants out there who believe there can be no peace between humans and mutants. They will stop at nothing to become the dominate species—they will use their powers for ill reasons. But do not make the mistake of thinking that all mutants are like that.

"This is a dangerous time, Mr. President. The road ahead will not be easy; already there have been losses on both sides of the battlefield. You are right to say that we have been given a moment, but what you choose to do with that moment is up to you. Mutants will never go away, and neither will the hatred that comes along with being…different. But we want you to know that no matter what happens we won't go away either. This world is big enough for all of us, Mr. President. Please do not make a decision that you could come to regret in the future."

"We'll have our eyes on you," added Wolverine gruffly. The President stared down at the papers on his desk as lightning flared through the skies. When he glanced back up the mutants were gone, and everyone in his office was staring at him; waiting.

His next choice of words would decide a new course for the nation.

**Bayville Mansion:**

"Look at this place," murmured Kitty as she kicked over a broken piece of wall. "I think that used to be our room."

"How cahn ya tell? It all looks the same ta meh," replied Rogue making a face. She reached down with gloved hands and sifted through some rubble. She sat back on her heels, surveying the destroyed grounds of what had once been the mansion.

"It doesn't look like anything's salvageable," said Bobby joining the two girls.

Kitty sighed. "What do we do now? Go home to our parents?"

Rogue shook her head. "You're forgettin' that some of us don't have a family ta go back to. We cahn't just give up, cahn we?"

"No," answered Logan as he and Ororo joined the teens. "We'll just have to rebuild."

"In Bayville? Are you crazy?" demanded Kurt popping into the middle of the group. "Have you seen the scary protesters standing outside our gates? I'm surprised they don't have pitchforks out!"

The group glanced over to the wrought iron gates where angry protestors had set up camp. Keeping them at bay was the U.S. military. Apparently not very many people had been too thrilled to hear the President call for peace between humans and mutants. He had turned down offers of immediate round-ups of mutants, saying both sides had been cruelly tricked by a man following a sick path towards glory. As a peace offering President McKenna had sent the military to keep watch on the X-Men until the mutant team could go through the rubble of their one time home.

"It is a grave time for us now," sighed Ororo wrapping her arms around her body. "We've lost too much already. How can we move on from this?"

No one answered as a jeep drove through the gates. Rogue glanced up and gave a small sigh of relief as Dr. McCoy, Warren, Piotr, Roberto, Amara, and Ray stepped out of the military vehicle. Joining them was the small band of Morlocks from the sewers. Behind that jeep came another with Tabitha sitting in the passenger seat, looking lost for once in her life.

Ororo quickly headed over to Evan and clutched her nephew close in her arms as they cried tears of grief together. Callisto and Caliban ushered their Morlocks to stay close to Ray before heading over to Logan, Rogue, Kurt, Bobby, and Kitty.

Callisto eyed Rogue thoughtfully. "I knew you'd pull through," she announced. Rogue nodded absently as Caliban placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. Wordlessly he pulled her into his arms as more tears fell from her eyes.

"We have come to pay our respects," murmured the pale faced mutant, "to the one called Jean Grey."

Logan nodded sharply. "Then you came just in time. I think the Professor was waiting 'til everyone got here."

Rogue paused as Tabitha walked over to her. The two girls hugged, fighting back more tears. Tabitha pulled away, wiping her eyes. "Metal Head and Shifty-Eyes showed up again with the pyro and I knew I couldn't stay there anymore. I heard on the news about Jean…it's not true, is it?"

"Ah wish it wasn't," replied Rogue softly.

"That girl always had to do the right thing, didn't she? She never faltered…she never gave up. She just kept trucking along even when it was pointless. How's our fearless leader taking it?"

"Ah don't think Scott's ever gonna be the same again."

"Right." Tabitha nodded along with Rogue and gave her another hug before heading over to Amara and Roberto. Rogue smiled as the two girls hugged, neither wanting to let go of the other. It seemed now that bygones would be forgotten for a brand new start.

Together the mutants drifted towards what had once been the backyard. Already there were the Professor, Scott, and Jean's family. Rogue felt a stab of pity as she eyed the Grey's, remembering Jean's wish to be normal and back home with her family.

Caliban and Callisto joined Ray and the Morlocks as the mutants circled around a small memorial stone. Rogue looked up briefly as she felt a hand grip her own gloved hand. Jamie offered her a small smile as she squeezed back. Bobby stood on her other side with Logan beside him. Rogue glanced down at the ground, noticing Kurt and Kitty straying close to Jamie's side. Beyond them Jubilee, Tabitha, Amara, Roberto, Rahne, Sam, Piotr, Warren, and Dr. McCoy stood alongside one another to stare at the small plaque in the ground. Ororo and Evan moved to stand on the other side of Logan as the Grey's, Scott, and Professor Xavier closed up the circle.

"It is with a heavy heart that we come together to honor one of our own. Jean was always a special person, she was always willing to help others and lend a hand whenever possible. She was a smart young woman, and always striving to be optimistic no matter what. She was a friend, a sister, a daughter…and so much more.

"When she came to Bayville she came hoping that she could learn to control her powers so that she might one day do good in the world. She was always hesitant about her powers, afraid that she would hurt someone she cared for—or that she didn't have what it took to keep up with her fellow peers. And yet it seems that Jean has surpassed all of us by embracing her powers wholeheartedly for the sake of the world.

"We will never forget Jean as we continue the crusade in her name. Her sacrifice will not be forgotten, nor lost in the wind. Together we will stand against those opposed to peace and civility in the world. The fight will go in Jean's name. She wouldn't want it any other way."

Silence followed the Professor's words. A few sobs broke up the fray as one by one the students stepped forward to place a flower on the plaque in the ground. Scott was first with a single red rose in his hand. His face was strained as he watched the rose fall atop the plaque. Then he turned and walked away, back towards the destroyed mansion to grieve alone. Logan and Ororo went forward together. Ororo dropped down to her knees and tenderly touched the plaque before allowing Logan to help her to her feet again. The pair drifted away from the circle, holding onto each other tightly.

Roberto, Amara, and Tabitha placed their flowers on the plaque as a group. As they walked away Amara linked hands with Roberto and Tabitha slung an arm around the Princess's shoulder. Sam, Rahne, and Jubilee stepped forward next. Jubilee wiped away her tears as Rahne and Sam led her away. Ray and the Morlocks stepped forward one by one, followed by Callisto, Caliban, and Evan. The three turned away to join their Morlocks at a respectable distance away from the circle.

Warren, Piotr, and Dr. McCoy also stepped forward. Warren flapped his wings in a small tribute to the plaque as he bowed low to the ground. Dr. McCoy lowered his head to say a quick prayer as Piotr watched with a grim face. He turned and walked away without bothering to wait for his comrades. Watching him go Rogue had a bad feeling that the Russian teen harbored anger at his friends for doing nothing but hiding out in the sewers.

Kurt struggled to keep Kitty on her feet as they walked over to the plaque. Kitty broke down in sobs as she placed her rose on Jean's plaque. Kurt had tears in his eyes as well as he pulled her into his arms and carried her away. Jamie walked ahead of Rogue and Bobby, putting his flower on the plaque and patting it comfortingly. Bobby gave the small boy a small smile as he too placed a rose down on the plaque.

Rogue took a deep breath as she lowered herself into a crouched position beside the plaque. She wished she had been able to tell Jean that she truly considered the red head a friend. As she placed the rose on the plaque however Rogue felt a warm breeze caress her. The southerner glanced up into the blue sky with a tiny frown on her face as a single persona drifted in and out of her mind. Her lips parted in a small oh as Rogue turned to glance at the Professor. He too had a similar look on his face.

With a small smile Rogue turned to glance down at the plaque. "Ah'll be seein' ya again, Jeanie," she whispered softly, "ahn when Ah do Ah'm gonna prove that ya cahn always count ohn meh. Ah owe ya one."

Rogue got to her feet and ruffled Jamie's hair as she slipped an arm around Bobby's waist. Together the trio walked away from the plaque and back towards the ruined mansion.

**Westchester:**

Magneto stared out the window of his office, taking in the green trees swaying with a small breeze. Spring was on the mend, indicating that now was the time to start anew.

"We will train each and every one of our recruits to the best of their abilities," stated the aging leader sternly.

"Of course," agreed Mystique tipping her head to one side.

"My dear, we can no longer stand by and watch the X-Men take the reigns of mutant-kind. We must show to mutants everywhere that the Brotherhood will not sit idly and wait for peace. Mutants should…and will become the dominate species in the world. But in order to do so, you and I must come to terms with one another." Magneto turned to gaze at his longtime partner and lover. "We can no longer quarrel over glory and greatness, Raven. We must work together. We must combine our abilities and knowledge to turn the Brotherhood into an unbeatable team."

"I agree, Eric. The time for jealousy is long over. It's a new world out there…the war has only begun. We have plenty of time to prove exactly where we stand," murmured Mystique coyly. Magneto nodded and turned back towards the window.

"Your daughter has proven to be something of a disappointment, my dear. Not once did she stand up to fight the enemy at Alkali Lake. I thought you had trained her."

"I wouldn't count Rogue out just yet. She has something planned, I can feel it; and whatever it is you can be sure it will be big. Anger doesn't go away overnight—no matter what she claims to be feeling. And Rogue is boiling with anger at the world. I believe that Rogue is simply biding her time for the perfect moment to strike. Revenge is just a game for her."

Magneto felt a smile tug on his lips. "Then let the game begin."

**A/N—Alright, I thought long and hard before posting this chapter...it took a while to display everything I wanted just right. Yes, Rogue has gone through a complete turnaround from the strong character I created, but you'll see why in the next chapter--which should be up later this week, so keepan eye out for it. **


	41. Moving On

**Disclaimer: I still don't own this.**

**Chapter 40-Moving On**

"Hey, has anyone seen Piotr?" asked Tabitha suddenly. Rogue glanced up from the pile of rubble she was shifting through to make a face.

"Ya really hafta ask?" retorted the southerner shortly.

"You think he really went over to Mags' side?"

"He's been gone for three days now, Tabs. The boy's a walkin' tin can. It's not like the bears ate him or somethin'."

Tabitha sighed as she plopped herself down beside Rogue. "Man, what's the deal with all the hotties joining the enemy?"

"Asks the girl who left them ta be with the geeks," murmured Rogue with a roll of her eyes.

"Hey, in my defense I have to say that as much as I liked living with Lance and them—it gets a little old having to share the damn bathroom with a bunch of males. Toad still hasn't learned personal hygiene. It's gross just thinking about it." Tabitha shivered, making Rogue laugh.

It had been a hard three days. The X-Men were barely keeping it together. They had been camping out on the mansion grounds, with the army surrounding the gates to protect the mutants from any anti-mutant attacks.

Since the memorial service for Jean the teens had been clearing out rubble from the mansion to see how bad the damage really was. Of course, Rogue had a feeling it was already a lost cause. She felt the Professor was just trying to keep everyone busy so they wouldn't mope around planning revenge. Like that would really do anyone any good.

Scott worked the hardest out of everyone. Every morning he would get up before the crack of dawn and undergo intense work out sessions with Logan. The teen barely talked to anyone, and if he did his words were clipped and polished to push everyone away.

Logan had resorted to frequenting bars again, only this time Ororo tagged along to keep an eye on him. He had returned back to the grounds, drunk for the first time in his life and out of hand. Rogue had been the one to throw a bucket of water on his face and then refuse to talk to him for a whole day. Logan had since then began to drink more soft drinks and return sober with Ororo at his side.

Kurt on the other hand seemed to be spending more and more time at the local church. He prayed every morning and every night, asking God for forgiveness and to show him his path in life. Kitty would accompany him every once in a while, simply because she didn't want to lose Kurt to his misery. The German teen was still repenting for his actions against the President, even though the President had already forgiven him. Rumors were now swirling, however that Kurt's body was slowly becoming covered in scarred versions of angelic symbols passed down from the Archangel Gabriel. Rogue had yet to get herself to talk to Kurt and see how he was doing. She simply didn't know what to say to him.

The rest of the team seemed to be getting along fairly well. Amara and Roberto had become inseparable; Ray had taken Rahne under his wing, teaching her the ropes of sewer life whenever he went to visit the Morlocks; Jamie had begun following Jubilee and Sam around since Rogue was busy working. The young mutant always seemed to get his two new friends in trouble with Logan early in the mornings. Angel and Dr. McCoy were working together to salvage anything that could be of use to the X-Men in the future.

Bobby kept close to Rogue, worried over her well being, and partly afraid that she would vanish like Piotr had. Piotr had gone off for a walk one day and then never returned. Rogue had confided into the Professor later that Magneto had once wanted Piotr on his side, and that had seemed to close the case. The Professor had yet to make a formal announcement on the manner, but that was simply because it would dampen the small hope the X-Men had left.

The Morlocks would appear every once in a while to deliver items or gossip from the streets. Usually the ones to show up were Callisto, Evan, or Caliban. Caliban usually only spoke to Rogue, whereas Callisto would converse with Ororo; Evan talked to whoever was available at the time. All in all the two groups were forming a strong alliance.

Rogue sighed as she plopped herself down on the ground beside Tabitha. "This is gettin' ta be tedious. Why cahn't the Professor just get us a bulldozer so we cahn clear up the yard ahn start over?"

"Who'd rent us one?" teased Bobby joining the girls. "Last I heard Principal Kelly had banned us from school—and Bayville's taking their cues from him. As of yesterday, we're no longer welcome citizens in Bayville."

"Big deal," said Tabitha with a yawn. "This town's a bore anyway. Maybe someone should suggest moving somewhere with a little more razzle dazzle or something."

"Sure, 'cause we're gonna be welcome everywhere else," muttered Rogue.

"Being pessimistic won't get you anywhere, Rogue. You know what we need?"

Bobby snorted. "A new secret hideout?"

"Besides that. We need a vacation!" announced Tabitha. Professor Xavier paused at the announcement to stare at the three teens thoughtfully. The idea was actually quite appealing—especially considering the news he had just received from an old friend via snail mail.

**An Hour Later:**

"A vacation?" repeated Ororo with a slight frown on her face. "Do you think that's wise right now?"

"Are you sure you're not drunk?" demanded Logan eyeing the bald leader carefully.

"The students have been working very hard the last few days. They deserve some time off. What else can we do? Bayville has closed its doors on us…it's time to move on," replied the Professor calmly.

Hank pushed the glasses up on the bridge of his nose. "It's not a bad idea. The children deserve a break from the psychological duress they have endured this past week. Losing the mansion and Jean has hit them pretty hard. A vacation might do them some good."

"But where? People will notice if a large group of students show up in one area," pointed out Ororo.

Xavier smiled at the white haired woman. "Not if we split the students up into groups. Hank can take Rahne, Jubilee, Ray, Sam, Jamie, and Tabitha camping in a National Park. Ororo, you can take Scott, Amara, Kitty, Roberto, and Kurt to Hawaii. I think the sun will do them some good. Which leaves Warren, Rogue, and Bobby with Logan. I have a special mission planned for you four, Logan. We need a new home, and I know just the place—although it could probably use some tidying up."

"That's not a vacation," growled Logan. "That's more work."

"Yes, well I don't think Rogue, Bobby, and Warren would handle an actual vacation very well right now. Rogue doesn't do well in public settings, and both Bobby and Warren are hurting from the sudden loss of communication with their families. I think the three of them would much rather do something productive for the team."

"What about you, Professor? Where are you planning on going during this reprieve from reality?" questioned Hank curiously.

"Actually, I just received word from an old friend of mine on Muir Island. It seems she and her fiancé need my assistance in a mutant matter."

Logan made a face. "So that's it, take a vacation?"

"You know me too well, Logan. Scott will find a reason to live in Hawaii. He will become connected to reality again—and he desperately needs that if he is to one day lead the X-Men. As for the students going on the camping trip, I believe a little bonding time will do them some good. That and I believe they will return with two new friends to join our side. Sam has a sister finally coming into her own powers. She is currently spending time with a friend she met at camp—another mutant in need of our assistance."

Ororo smiled. "It sounds like you have been planning this for a while, Charles."

"Sam's parents wrote me before the Stryker incidence. I have been watching Paige Guthrie's friend for quite some time, I knew her grandfather very well when I was younger. As for Scott, I have had a feeling for many years now that he isn't as alone as he thinks he is. Only recently was I able to pinpoint that feeling in Hawaii.

"As for my going to Muir Island…I have been considering it for a few days now. Principal Kelly has pointed out that our children cannot continue their educations in Bayville—or any public school for that matter. If Moira MacTaggert and Sean Cassidy agree, I think it is time to start up our own school for mutants. A School for the Gifted, if you will. With six adults, I believe that will be more than enough to start up our own school. Given some time we may even gather more students in the future," said Xavier with a small smile.

"As long as I ain't teachin' art," grumbled Logan.

"I wouldn't dream of it," responded the Professor with a twinkle in his eye.

**Meanwhile:**

Rogue looked up from her spot and glanced around the mansion ruins. She stood up when she noticed Caliban headed her way. With pursed lips Rogue walked over to the pale Morlock.

"More news, sugah?" she asked curiously.

Caliban shook his head. "You and I must talk alone, Rogue."

Nodding, Rogue followed Caliban to an isolated spot on the grounds where they would both be able to notice if anyone headed their way. Rogue waited for Caliban to speak. She had a feeling she knew what was coming.

"The Brotherhood is growing stronger every day. They are sore that you have left them. But I must know, are you really done with the Brotherhood? Does you allegiance truly lie with the X-Men?" questioned Caliban softly.

"No."

"Then you still work with Magneto?"

"No."

Caliban sighed. "Rogue you once asked if we were friends—I am loyal to you through and through. I thought you knew that."

"Ah do, ahn Ah appreciate everythin' you've done for meh, sugah."

"Then why won't you tell me what you have planned?"

Rogue let out a deep breath. "Because ya ain't gonna like it."

"I will aid you no matter what plans you have, Rogue. I made a promise, and I intend to keep it. I work for you," stated Caliban.

"Ah've been told ohn a number of occasions that Ah have the potential ta be one of the most powerful mutants in the world." Rogue snorted. "Ahn if that's true, then it means that Ah'm only a vessel ta be used. Mags wants meh ohn his side 'cause of mah powers. The X-Men are the same way. They're both afraid to go up against meh—especially after Ah lost control of my powers that one day. But Ah won't be used."

"Then you are still out for revenge?"

"Ah—yes—Ah dunno. That seems ta be mah life's work these days, don't it? See, when Jean sacrificed herself for the X-Men Ah thought maybe revenge wasn't all it was cracked up ta be. Ah hated Jean for so long—but it turns out she was a lot like meh. She couldn't control who she was…just like Ah cahn barely control who Ah am. Mah head's been spinnin' lately, Caliban. The voices have been talkin' again…but this time Ah'm not lettin' 'em call the shots."

Caliban scrunched up his forehead as he tried to understand what Rogue meant. "Are you saying that you can control the powers you have borrowed before?"

Rogue grinned. "Let's just say that Ah'm workin' ohn it—the most Ah cahn do is keep the voices from botherin' meh durin' the day. At night Ah have dreams—ahn they don't even belong ta meh. Ya wanna know which dreams haunt meh the most? Jean Grey's. There was more ta her than she ever let ohn…she thinks she's dangerous, but she really ain't. Her mind cahn't handle the potential she has in her. Her mind will never be able ta exact revenge ohn others—it's not in her ta do that."

"But Jean's gone now, Rogue. Her mind shouldn't be plaguing yours any longer."

"That's not how mah powers work, Caliban. Ah think there's a good chance that even dead people will be a part of meh for as long as Ah'm alive."

"What kind of dreams are you having then?" questioned the pale faced Morlock suspiciously.

"There's trouble comin', Caliban. Destiny talked about a prophecy—Jeanie is part of that prophecy, just like Ah am. Ahn Mystique was the one who said that maybe the prophecy would change if Ah kept too close ta Jean. Ah think she was right 'bout that one. Ah don't know what the prophecy is, but you cahn bet it requires some serious power."

"I do not see why you should be concerned with this prophecy anymore, Rogue. Jean Grey is gone—the prophecy will not work without her."

"That's where you're wrong, sugah. Jean ain't dead. She's alive. Ah cahn feel her waitin', bidin' her time. She ain't the same Jean we used ta know—she's not in control of her mind anymore. Ahn that's what Ah want."

Caliban frowned. "I still don't understand."

Rogue shrugged. "It's simple really. Ah'm gonna kill three birds with one stone. Ah'm gonna get even with Mags ahn mah mother for usin' meh, Ah'm gonna show the X-Men exactly what Ah am, ahn Ah'm gonna repay Jean for believin' in meh. Ah want respect for who Ah am. The X-Men don't know who Ah am, they have no fuckin' idea. Ah'm not good like them…but Ah'm not like Mags either. Ah ain't evil.

"Ah think this is the first time in mah life that mah powers are a blessin' in disguise. Whenever Jeanie decides ta show her face again, Ah'm gonna make her newfound powers mahne. Jean has powers that cahn do everythin' Ah ever wanted. Revenge is only the beginnin', Caliban. Ah'm gonna take fate ahn twist it around ta suit mah needs. Ah _won't _be used by anyone—Ah'm gonna use them."

"It is a dangerous game you play, Rogue!" hissed Caliban with wide eyes. "What you plan—you don't know the half of what that prophecy is!"

"Do you?" shot back Rogue acerbically.

Caliban lapsed into silence, fear and anger evident in his eyes. "The part I know is of a powerful mutant returning to earth and destroying and all who live here. They call him the Apocalypse. He will bring a judgment day unlike any other. He craves ultimate power and the deaths of any and all that stand in his way. But only one soul can release him—and that soul is you, Rogue. That mutant has been locked away for eons—his followers will stop at nothing until he is set loose once more."

"Well then, he better get in line, 'cause Ah ain't workin' for anyone but mahself from now ohn. No big bad asshole by the name of Apocalypse is gonna boss meh around—Ah don't have time for that shit. Ah just want Jean's hidden powers—that's the only way Ah'll be able to control the rest of the powers swirlin' around in mah head. Ahn just so ya know, this stays between you ahn meh, Caliban. No one must know that Jeanie ain't dead. Not yet anyway."

"What—you can't—I won't—of course." Caliban hung his head in defeat. "I know very little of the other prophecy—the one that deals with Jean Grey. What I do know is that defeating the darkness within her will require more skills than you could ever possess. Rogue, you can't beat her on your own."

"Ah never said Ah was plannin' ohn doin' it ohn mah own, now did Ah? Juggernaut owes meh a few favors—ahn Wanda thinks we're workin' together too. If Ah'm really desperate Ah'll just borrow the Brotherhood—no matter what side Ah fight ohn, those boys aren't gonna just forget their loyalty ta meh. Don't worry so much, Caliban. Ah have this one all figured out."

"And what of the X-Men? What of the obligation you owe them for everything they have done for you?" demanded Caliban forcibly.

Rogue raised an eyebrow slyly. "Ah think givin' them back Jean Grey oughtta be enough, don't you agree?"

"You are playing a dangerous game, Rogue."

"Yeah, ahn that's just how Ah like it."

**Hawaii:**

Scott blew out a frustrated breath of air. "This is a waste of time. We should be back at the mansion clearing out the rubble. We don't need a vacation!"

"Like speak for yourself," muttered Kitty as she slipped on a pair of sunglasses. "I could totally use a vacation right about now."

"No kidding," agreed Kurt basking in the warm rays of the sun, "a little sun never hurt anybody."

"I agree with Kitty. We need a break from reality," added Amara adjusting the straps of her swimsuit. "Hawaii is a nice change from Bayville—no one knows who we are here. It's kinda nice to be anonymous."

Roberto chuckled as he plopped his dripping wet body beside Amara's. "Would it really kill you to just chill out, Scott? The mansion will still be in pieces when we get back. I don't think it's going anywhere."

Making a face, Scott got to his feet and thrust his hands in his pockets before heading down the beach in an aimless amble. Ororo sighed as she watched the tall teen walk away. It was more than evident that he was still hurting from the loss of Jean.

"Did we push it with him?" Kitty asked the weather witch nervously.

Ororo smiled a reassuring smile. "It's going to take Scott a while before he can stop mourning Jean. He may not realize it yet, but this vacation is going to heal some of his pain. Just give him some space…he'll come around."

Meanwhile, Scott continued to walk down the beach with his eyes directed at the sand below his feet. It wasn't supposed to hurt this much—losing the one he loved. It wasn't as though he and Jean had been official—or even gone on any dates…and yet, Scott couldn't seem to get her last words to him out of his head. She had loved him. Jean Grey had loved him, Scott Summers, and now she was gone. It was a bittersweet victory in Scott's eyes—losing the girl he had been trying to woo for over a year.

"'Scuse me," apologized a male voice after bumping into Scott. "My bad—I wasn't watching where I was going."

"No, it's my fault," started Scott, moving his head upwards to glance at the teen he had bumped into. Any other words that Scott was going to say vanished as he stared into the eyes of a blonde haired, blue eyed boy only a couple of years younger than himself. It was like looking at the face of his late mother all over again.

**The Camping Trip:**

"Aw, this is the life, isn't it?" asked Hank after breathing in a deep breath of fresh air.

Tabitha eyed the blue mutant dubiously. "You're kidding, right? The others got to go to Hawaii, and where do we end up? In bug city. This place sucks. You need to turn up the fun level now, doc, or else I'm boycotting the rest of the trip."

"You could have gone with Logan to clean up a new hideout," suggested Jubilee with a wry grin on her face.

"Did I mention that I like bugs?" murmured Tabitha looking around the woods once more.

Jamie yawned loudly. "Is it time for marshmallows yet?"

"Marshmallows come after the hiking and cooking," replied Hank raising a finger in the air.

"You're telling this to a starving kid? How the heck did you get your teaching license? You have to feed kids like Jamie ten times a day!" exclaimed Ray indignantly.

Rahne giggled. "At least just the guys—girls are good eating only a couple of times a day."

"Huh, you're joking, right?" demanded Tabitha raising an eyebrow. "Because I feel like I could eat an elephant right about now."

"I'm starting to think that perhaps I didn't pack enough food," said Hank scratching his head with a frown on his face.

"Then you're in luck!" called out a female voice. "'Cause we brought delivery!"

"You mean we stole the delivery," corrected another female sternly.

"Well, yeah, that too."

"Ma's gonna kill me," groaned Sam as he and two teenage girls came into view. One girl had blonde hair pulled back into a pony-tail and blue eyes. The other girl had loose black hair and brown eyes, her skin a darker color than her friend's pale form. In the blonde's hands however, was a pizza box.

"Now _that _girl knows how to camp," stated Tabitha appreciatively.

**Westchester:**

"Please tell me this isn't the mansion the Professor was talking about," said Bobby staring glumly through a pair of wrought iron gates. "This place looks like it hasn't seen the light of day in centuries."

Logan shrugged. "Hey, I don't pick 'em, I just do what Chuck tells me to do. And he said to fix this baby up and make into our new home."

Rogue snorted as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Apparently the Professor hasn't seen the place in a while; otherwise he would have just bought us a new mansion instead. Ah don't care if this one has Cerebro in it or not—it looks like crap."

"I have to agree," murmured Warren, "it's going to take a miracle to get this place back into shape."

The group lapsed into silence, each one busy staring at the three story mansion looming in the center of a large estate. The brick wall surrounding the mansion extended two miles on each side. The mansion itself was a shabby tan color, with dark shutters closed tight on the windows. The front portion of the mansion was covered with ivy, and various large tree branches seemed to brush up against the eaves of the house in a precarious manner.

"Alright, so it's gonna be a lot of work—but Chuck promised me that this one's permanent. We ain't gonna get bombed out likelast time," grunted Logan.

"Does this one come with a lifetime guarantee?" teased Rogue.

"You're funny, you know that?" grumbled the older X-Man darkly. Rogue rolled her eyes as she pulled the front gates open. The small group made their way up the long driveway, studying the mansion grounds carefully.

"The Professor really knows how to pick 'em," muttered Bobby with a shake of his head. "This place is a lot bigger than the mansion in Bayville."

"No kidding," agreed Warren. "But this one does seem safer than Bayville. If the Professor intends to protect his students, this would be an ideal place. It's far from the main part of town—and the grounds are big enough to hide any training we do."

Rogue made a face and opened her mouth to say something when a small water sprinkler poked up out of the grass. In an automated mechanical voice, the sprinkler said, "Intruder alert, intruder alert."

"What the fuck?" growled Logan glaring at the sprinkler. "I thought Chuck said this place was lifeless."

"Maybe he forgot 'bout the welcome committee," suggested Rogue with a shrug.

"Look out!" cried out Bobby pushing Rogue to the ground and covering her body with his. Gunfire echoed across the grounds as the sprinkler open fired on the mutants. Warren flew into the air just as Logan's claws shot out, slicing the sprinkler in half.

"We have to get out of here!" exclaimed Warren pointing towards other so-called sprinklers as they moved up out of the tall grass. Bobby and Rogue scrambled back onto their feet, and hit the ground running with Logan at their heels and Warren overhead. The group was breathless by the time they made it outside of the wrought-iron gates.

Rogue groaned as she leaned her back against the metal bars. "Anyone know a technician who cahn come unwire the place before we decide ta clean it up?"

Logan popped his knuckles restively. "I might know of one…but it's gonna take a lot of convincing to get this kid to join us for the week."

"How much convincing?" asked Warren suspiciously.

**Muir Island:**

Xavier clasped his hands together in his lap as he allowed the words of the woman in front of him to seep in.

"So I have a son?" questioned the Professor after a long moment.

The brunette nodded. "I told Gabrielle to tell you before now—but she refused. She said you had made your choice long ago and that she didn't want to bother you with a child." The woman spoke with a Scottish brogue, her green eyes filled with concern. "I'm sorry, Charles, I know I should have told you sooner. Especially since Gabrielle entrusted David into my care."

"It's not your fault, Moira. Gabrielle and I have had…our differences before now. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that she would keep something so important from me. It's my own fault, really. I did push her away as I tried to form my X-Men. I'm glad that you called me here now. Perhaps I can rectify my wrongs by helping my own son gain control of his powers. It's the least I can do."

Moira smiled. "You're a good man, Charles Xavier, and don't you forget it. Now, why don't you tell me the other reason you agreed to come?"

The pair glanced up as the door of the study opened and in walked a tall man with curly blonde hair and bright blue eyes. "You weren't thinking of starting without me, were you?" he joked, his accent thick.

"Of course not, Sean. It's good to see you again, old friend," greeted Xavier with a smile.

Sean grinned and shook hands with Xavier before pulling out the chair beside Moira's. "And it's good to see you too, though I wish it were under better circumstances. But Moira's right, there's another reason you've come—what is it?"

"War is brewing back home. A war between mutants and humans. You both know where I stand…and I'm sure you both know where Eric stands. Things have taken a drastic change for all mutants, and I'm afraid I came to ask a favor of the both of you," said Xavier softly.

**Two Weeks Later:**

"Finished!" announced Rogue brightly. She turned to glance at Logan who was busy inspecting her work.

The older mutant nodded grudgingly. "It looks good as new."

Warren snorted. "Logan, all she did was go out and buy a new vase to replace the one Bobby broke last week."

"Yeah, but it looks just like the other one—only twenty times cheaper."

Bobby groaned. "Don't remind me. How the hell was I supposed to know that vase was from the Ming Dynasty? You'd think the Professor would know better than to collect ancient and priceless artifacts. It took fifty different garage sales before we found that damn thing!"

Rogue shrugged. "Next time you'll think before ya throw things around, huh?"

"Just as long as Forge keeps away from me with those gadgets he's always tinkering with," replied Bobby as he followed the others out the front door. "I know the guy's a genius and all—but he's the scary type. He doesn't mind experimenting on real people!"

Rogue rolled her eyes in amusement as she plopped herself down on the front steps of the mansion. Bobby followed suit, still grumbling about the mutant named Forge.

"There you guys are! I've been looking all over for you," said the mutant in question. "I finished the security system. It's as good as new—all it needs now is to be activated."

"Thanks," said Warren as he took a seat in a wicker chair on the front porch.

Forge grinned as he ran a hand through his unruly black hair. "No problem. I'm glad you guys got me to help out—working on the mansion has been a real eye opener for me. I think it might be a good fit working with the X-Men."

"Having Warren fund all your projects is just an added bonus, right?" questioned Wolverine as he pulled out a cigar and lit it up. Forge grinned good naturedly.

Rogue sighed and propped her hands on her knees, her mind drifting away from the conversation. She was itching to get a hold of Caliban again. No word had come about the Brotherhood, and it was beginning to bother her. Magneto didn't stay quiet unless he had something up his sleeve—and whatever it was Rogue wanted to know. She hated being out of the loop, it ruined a lot of her hard planning.

"So," started Bobby, "anyone know when the Professor said everyone would be arriving today?"

"Any minute now," answered Logan in between puffs of his cigar. Rogue mentally shook her head, clearing her mind of her planning so that she could concentrate on the here and now. She could wait until later to deal with her own problems.

"Ah think that's them now," announced Rogue, indicating three SUV's driving up the drive. The small group on the porch straightened up just as the first SUV pulled to a stop in front of the mansion. Logan was already moving to the driver's side where Ororo was stepping out.

"How much longer are they gonna keep hiding their relationship from the rest of us?" whispered Bobby to Rogue.

The southerner gave a small laugh. "Probably as long as Logan thinks no one will notice."

The two teens became quiet as they watched the group of students pile out of the vehicle. Kitty was laughing at something Kurt had said while Roberto held out a hand to help Amara down. They glanced at the new mansion with awe, just as Scott stepped out of the SUV. Following him was another teen boy who seemed to resemble Scott in several ways.

Out of the second SUV Tabitha was the first one out with Jubilee hot on her heels. The two girls were gossiping over a magazine as Ray and Rahne tumbled out chasing Jamie around the front yard. A teen girl with blonde hair hopped out of the vehicle, ignoring Sam who shyly paused to help the dark haired girl out as well. Hank was already opening the back of the SUV to unload luggage. Forge quickly moved forward to lend a hand.

"Rogue!" Tabitha squealed in delight as she pulled Rogue to her feet and into a hug. "I totally thought I was gonna die in the woods—did you know there aren't any showers in the forest? God, I never want to go on a vacation ever again—shoot me the next time I suggest going on one!" she hissed before letting Rogue go.

"Ah coulda told ya it was gonna suck," stated Rogue. "'Course, at least you didn't hafta clean house for two weeks. Ah think Ah'm gonna keep mah room clean from now ohn so Ah don't hafta do anymore vacuumin' or whatnot."

"That'd be a good plan. So," Tabitha's voice lowered slightly as she slung an arm over Rogue's shoulders and propelled the southern belle away from the front porch, "did you and Bobby kiss while I was gone?"

"Tabs!" exclaimed Rogue, her face reddening.

"What? You two act like there's something going on—I'm just asking what everyone else is thinking," protested Tabitha innocently. Rogue groaned and brought a gloved hand up to her face. It was times like this that made Rogue wish she hadn't become such good friends with Tabitha. The two girls turned around and headed back towards the porch just as the third SUV began to unload. Tabitha stopped short as her eyes caught sight of the blonde teen stepping out of the vehicle.

The teen was a tall, slender blonde with troubled blue eyes. Tabitha grinned and vanished from Rogue's side to introduce herself to the new teen. Rogue shook her head and returned to her spot beside Bobby. She glanced up in surprise as Jamie launched himself into her arms, pleading for mercy from Ray and Rahne.

However, Rahne's attention was already on the third SUV. Her eyes lit up before she ran towards the brunette woman stepping out of the black vehicle. "Moira!" Rahne catapulted herself into Moira's arms, forcing the woman to step back into the blonde man behind her.

"Looks like you didn't sneak in like you wanted," he teased as he turned back towards the SUV and picked up a small girl with brown hair and brown eyes, who looked to be about Jamie's age.

Moira chuckled as she held Rahne close. "I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm so glad to see you, Rahne. Look how tall you've grown—they must have fed you alright out in the woods."

Rahne grinned. "We had pizza the first night there."

Professor Xavier chuckled at the look on Moira's face as she glanced down at her adopted daughter. Xavier said, "I told you a vacation would do the students well. I think now is the time for everyone to unpack what belongings they have in their new rooms before we do anything else."

**Hours Later:**

It took longer than expected for the students and adults to unpack and settle into their new rooms. Xavier had offered up a list of new room arrangements, some that were taking longer to get used to than others—especially with the addition of five new students.

Luckily, Rogue ended up with Tabitha as a roommate. Kitty had been paired with the new girl, Danielle Moonstar, while Amara was now sharing a room with Jubilee. Rahne now bunked with Paige Guthrie; and the small girl, named Theresa Rourke had her own room due to her age.

There were also some changes amongst the guys as well. Scott and Warren each had their own rooms, while Bobby bunked with Scott's brother, Alex Masters-Summers. Kurt and Forge shared a room, as did Roberto and Sam, while Ray shared a room with David Haller. Jamie also ended up with his own room because of his age as well.

Of course, the talk of the mansion was the fact that Logan had placed all of Ororo's things in his room without listening to Ororo's complaints that their rooming together was unethical. His reasoning had been that Hank deserved the large bedroom that Ororo had tried to claim as her own. Rogue figured Logan was really trying to show Ororo that he genuinely cared for her—by not taking no for an answer.

"He's hot…a little weird, but totally hot," said Tabitha, waking Rogue from her thoughts.

"That David kid?" asked Rogue raising her eyebrows. "But he's the Professor's son!"

"Which totally adds to his hotness."

"Ah'm startin' ta wonder how Amara ever lasted with you as her roommate."

"Ha, ha," deadpanned Tabitha. The blonde girl rolled off the bed and motioned for Rogue to follow. "Come on, the Professor's callin' us downstairs to the library."

"I didn't hear anythin'," murmured Rogue with a frown.

"How could you with all those voices lodged in your brain?" replied Tabitha. She didn't wait for an answer as she grabbed Rogue by the arm and dragged the southerner down to the ground level. The two girls slipped into the library and took seats towards the back of the assembled group.

Professor Xavier cleared his throat to speak. "As you all may be aware we have several new faces joining us today. May I introduce Dr. Moira MacTaggert and her fiancé, Sean Cassidy, also known as Banshee? Sitting beside Kitty is Danielle Moonstar, alias Mirage. Beside Rahne is Sam's sister, Paige Guthrie, known as Husk. Over here we have Sean's daughter, Theresa Rourke, called Siryn; next to Scott is his brother, Alex Masters, called Havok; and sitting beside Ray is my son David Haller, who at times can be called Legion, among other names. We are also welcoming a familiar face to the group—Forge. On behalf of the X-Men, I welcome you all to the team.

"Things have not been easy the last few weeks—we have experience grief and hardships that I had hoped we would never come across. But it is not the end of the X-Men, but a beginning. I will not lie and say that peace is evident in the near future, because it is not. War is on the horizon. We have lost teammates to the other side—to Magneto and his mission. We have lost our home—driven out of Bayville by the very people we strove to coincide with peacefully. And we have lost a beloved friend to the tides of war itself.

"Moving on will not be easy—it never has been, but do not lose hope. We are a team, and as a team we will rise again. We will become stronger, we will become wiser, and we will become the heroes that I know you can be. Yes, the light seems dim now; it seems as though we must hide and hope for the best, but that is not so.

"Despite all that we have been through, we are here now—together as one. We have gained a welcome alliance with the Morlocks. And most importantly, we have each other. The President gave the X-Men a reprieve after the Alkali Lake incident. We must band together and show the world that we are worthy of his trust. We will make it; I know we can, though it is hard for the time being.

"Society has cast us aside—we are no longer welcome in the public. But your educations must go on. This new mansion—a mansion I had built almost a decade ago—this mansion will be our new home. I had hoped to never use it, because it is nothing more than training grounds for mutants. But I believe the time has come to start anew. This mansion will now be a school for gifted youngsters such as yourselves. Think of it as a type of private school—one where you will be welcomed year around. I have contacted as many families as I could and as of yet, none have come forward to whisk children away.

"You are X-Men, new and old. Here you will learn the basic academics of a regular school, and you will learn how to control and use your powers. War has come, and we can no longer sit idly by. It is a new era, and we will face it together—as a team, as friends, as a family."

Rogue swallowed back a lump in her throat, steeling her heart against the hope in Xavier's voice. She could sense the hope rising in the rest of the students around her, but she wasn't going to be sucked into their game. She had her own agenda to worry about. Rogue didn't have time for wishful thinking. She wasn't part of the X-Men—she never would be. No matter how hard she tried she would always be the outcast…and that's how Rogue wanted it. People only ever got hurt being around her.

No, Rogue was on her own…and she was embarking on the most dangerous road of all. She was about to go head on with fate and change it to her own desire. She was going to take control of her life again—no more prophecies dictating the events to come. Rogue was going to choose her own solitary path…just as soon as she righted things here. Taking a deep breath, Rogue plastered a small smile on her face, her mind drifting away from the ebb of excitement in the room.

The game was set to begin.

**A/N—Alright, so now we have reached the point where Rogue is embarking on her own path. The betrayal I talked about in the story summary is finally starting. And before anyone starts complaining, no, Rogue is not completely heartless and evil, nor is she going to lose her attitude and confidence. As the chapters progress you should see more of the inner battle within Rogue to set things right for her own self and that of others. Just bear with me until then because I'm going home for spring break and won't be able to update. **


	42. Secrets

**Disclaimer: Still not mine.**

**41-Secrets**

A light spring breeze blew through the air, ruffling Rogue's hair. The southern teen glanced up towards the bright blue sky with a small frown. She was itching to fly. Rogue shook her head with a deeper frown. She hated flying. Rubbing her forehead gingerly, Rogue nimbly dodged pedestrians as she made her way down the sidewalk. She ignored the dark looks she was given as she maneuvered through the throngs. She still wasn't used to Westchester yet.

The suburb was too big for one thing. There were too many nooks and crannies for the Brotherhood to be hiding out it. And those were the very people Rogue wanted to look in on. They hadn't made a peep since the play—and that had been over a month ago. The X-Men had settled into a new routine at their new mansion…but Rogue was already feeling cabin fever. She hated being cooped up with the same people day after day. And Tabitha was beginning to get on her nerves. The blonde couldn't stop talking about David…and when she wasn't talking about him she was moping about Lance.

So Rogue had taken it upon herself to skip classes and take a day off. She deserved one. Well, that and she was having trouble concentrating on everything and anything lately. Her mind kept wandering to the strangest thoughts, memories, and sensations. It was as though several past lives were waking up within her. And Rogue knew for a fact that those lives didn't belong to her.

At the corner of the street Rogue paused to glance around at her surroundings. Nothing seemed familiar—not that it was supposed to, but something recognizable would be nice. Hell, even some kind of sign of the Brotherhood would be nice.

_They couldn't have just vanished, _thought Rogue as she studied the brick buildings and all the people milling about. _And they're never this quiet. _

"Something's up, ahn Ah don't like it one bit," muttered the southern belle to herself. She took a deep breath and was about to turn the corner when she noticed a familiar figure in a trench coat striding down the sidewalk across the street. With a smirk Rogue quickly dashed across the street and half walked, half jogged after the cocky Cajun.

About a block down however, Rogue lost sight of Gambit. Her eyes narrowed as she slowed her pace and eventually came to a halt. She vowed to drain the jerk the next time she got a chance to learn how his mind worked. Rogue rubbed her forehead again, this time vowing to never use her powers again. She didn't want a repeat of her last freak out. Blowing out a frustrated breath of air Rogue took a few tentative steps forward down the sidewalk. Maybe she would get lucky again and catch another glimpse. All she wanted were a few answers.

Suddenly Rogue felt herself pulled down the mouth of a shadowy alley and pushed up against a wall. She blinked her eyes a few times to adjust them to the dark and found herself staring into the red irises of one Remy Lebeau.

"Were ya followin' me, chère?" asked the Cajun casually.

"Don't flatter your self," scoffed Rogue crossing her arms in front of her chest. Inside, her mind was screaming at the close proximity between them, but Rogue refused to let Remy see her uncomfortable. Her irked her enough as it was.

"Uh huh…that's why y'were lookin' 'round like y'were lost."

"Look, Swamp Rat, Ah just want some answers." Rogue pushed Remy away from her and moved away from the wall, brushing herself off. She couldn't handle it anymore. He was too close. Remy smirked as though he knew what was making her so jumpy. "Y'all have been hard ta find," continued Rogue, "where have ya been makin' home?"

"Accordin' ta the boss—you're the enemy now."

Rogue snorted. "Did Mags come up with that one all by himself?"

Remy shrugged. "I didn't ask."

"Whatever. That's not the point here, sugah. The point is Ah'm just a little curious as ta why y'all have been so quiet lately. Ah didn't think the boys could handle playin' by the rules."

"Y' ain't givin' 'em much credit, chère. They aren't da same boys ya once knew. T'ings have changed," said Remy pulling out a cigarette and lighting it up. Rogue watched the flame longingly, before shaking her head yet again. She turned away from Remy and placed a gloved hand on her forehead. Remy watched carefully, but puffed away at his cigarette without a word.

"What's Mags plannin'?"

"Dunno."

"What _do _ya know?" demanded Rogue turning back to face the Cajun.

"Mastermind ain't dead."

"What? How could he be alive? He was left behind at Alkali Lake—there's no way in hell he coulda gotten out ohn his own."

"However he managed it, the man's movin' up in de ranks. He's gettin' pretty cozy with de boss man," replied Remy.

Rogue made a face as she thought. She had an idea who had whisked the evil mutant out of the underground base, but she didn't have proof. It was nothing more than a hunch. "Anythin' else ya think ya cahn share with meh?"

"We got new recruits."

"It's 'bout time," murmured Rogue to herself. She chewed on her bottom lip, her mind drifting away to thoughts on how to train these recruits not to screw up like the others. No, that wasn't right.

"Chère, you alright?" questioned Remy with a small frown as Rogue began shaking her head again.

"Huh? Ah'm fine," said Rogue looking up at Remy in surprise. She glanced around the alley as though she didn't remember how she got there. "You know we're not alone, don't ya?"

Remy looked around, his body tensing up. "I don't see anythin'."

"There." Rogue pointed to the ground where a rat was scurrying around. Remy opened his mouth to comment on Rogue's fragile mind when the rat began to grow…and shift. Remy shut his mouth as Mystique crossed her arms in a way that eerily reminded him of the southern girl beside him.

"How's your head?" asked Mystique suspiciously.

"Never felt better," lied Rogue.

Mystique narrowed her eyes at her daughter, but chose to ignore the white lie. Rogue wasn't about to spill out her guts to Mystique anytime soon, and both females knew it. "I see life with the X-Geeks has been treating you well. You look healthier than when I first found you."

"Logan took away mah cigarettes."

"How's Kurt?"

Rogue shrugged uncomfortably, silently saying a prayer to herself in German. "Ah haven't talked ta him lately."

"He's your brother."

Rogue became silent, and almost meek in her manner. Mystique's forehead creased into worry lines, but she didn't dare approach the teen girl. Instead, the shape shifter continued speaking. "I talked to Irene…or Destiny, as you know her. There are two prophecies out there, Rogue."

"What are they?" Rogue's head snapped up, and her eyes glittered with a hint of greed.

Mystique took a step back in surprise, but she quickly found her voice again. "One talks about the coming of the Apocalypse. An evil mutant locked away beneath a seal of some kind. There are four who will work for him, the Four Horsemen. Those Horsemen are Death, Pestilence, War, and Famine. Irene says that they will be mutants—and there are a number of candidates already present today, but we don't know who the four chosen ones will be. As soon as Apocalypse is released it'll be like a scene out of the bible. This guy is all about world domination and destruction.

"The second prophecy revolved around Jean Grey…so it's null and void now. The gist of it was that a fiery entity would take control of Jean's body in her road for vengeance. This entity is almost as powerful as the Apocalypse. At one time they were mortal enemies, but somewhere down the road the entity became a vessel for evil. Rumor was that this entity would try to control the world as well—but it's no use dwelling on it anymore. Jean Grey is dead."

Rogue nodded absently. "Caliban told meh that Ah was important ta lettin' Apocalypse loose. Was he wrong?"

Mystique sighed. "No. You're the only one who can let him out…but that's only if his underlings, whoever they might be, can control you. And we all know for a fact how hard it is to control you. But just in case, keep an eye out for suspicious people following you around—and stay away from Sabertooth. I don't trust him."

"You're one ta talk," muttered Rogue rubbing her forehead out of habit.

"Rogue, there's something else I think you should know."

"What?"

"It's about your father," replied Mystique softly. Rogue eyed the blue shape shifter carefully, indicating that Mystique should keep talking. "I know you hate me, and that you don't trust me. But I think it's time you knew the truth about your parentage now. There's trouble coming, Rogue. It will tear you and your father apart…because I'm not the only one with a secret past. He has one too, and in the coming weeks those secrets will become evident."

"Ah don't understand," said Rogue. "How cahn his secrets tear us apart if Ah don't even know who he is?"

"Logan's your father, Rogue."

Rogue opened her mouth to comment, and then closed it speechlessly. After doing this about ten different times, she finally managed to ask. "Are ya sure?"

"Not completely, no…but you're just like him, and he was the last man I can remember being with before I became pregnant. Logan has a lot of secrets—half of which he doesn't even know about. But you two are fairly close already, and I'm afraid that you'll be hurt in the future."

"Then why tell the fille he's her father?" asked Remy with a snort.

"Because it will hurt ten times more when the truth is revealed later on. At least this way Rogue can ready herself for what is to come," answered Mystique smoothly.

"Ahn Ah take it you're not plannin' ohn givin' meh any hints ohn what's comin', huh?" questioned Rogue.

"They call themselves S.H.I.E.L.D., and that's all you need to know."

It was a half hour later that Rogue found herself wandering aimlessly back in the direction of the mansion. Remy and Mystique had been vague about Magneto's new recruits…and then they both claimed they had business elsewhere to take care of. Rogue couldn't quite put her finger on why she didn't believe them. Maybe it was the fact that she felt as though someone had been watching them. Someone close to Magneto—if not the master of metal himself. Whatever it was it was making Rogue feel jumpy again, and she hated that feeling.

Rogue glanced up at the sky again and nodded absently. It was going to rain later. Sticking her hands in her coat pocket Rogue made her way down the sidewalk. Magneto had new recruits. Somehow she had to manipulate these newbies to help her get revenge on her father…Rogue stopped short and glanced around her warily. That wasn't her thinking, it was Wanda. Finally Rogue spotted Wanda standing on the corner of the street, waiting.

"Took you long enough to see me," remarked Wanda as Rogue joined her.

"Ah haven't been payin' much attention ta anythin' lately. What are you doin' out? Ah heard Mags was makin' y'all train with the new recruits."

Wanda snorted derisively. "Oh please, we've been training for over a month now. We're all starting to get on each other's nerves. I've been waiting to get out of that place for days now. I wanted to talk to you."

Rogue bit her lip. She had a feeling she knew why Wanda wanted to talk to her, but frankly, Rogue wasn't sure she was up to scheming today. She had a lot going on in her head again. "Oh yeah?"

"When the hell are you going to finish your plan? I've been living under the same roof as my father…and it's getting harder and harder to restrain myself from not killing him," growled Wanda. "What the hell have you been doing for the last month?"

"Excuse meh?"

"You heard me. I've been waiting for you to make your move—but I don't even know what to look for. What are you planning, Rogue? I thought we were working together—and so far we haven't done shit."

Rogue's eyes narrowed as she felt a spark of anger ignite within her. "Look, Wanda, Ah don't know what you thought, but _we _aren't workin' together. Ah work with no one, you got that?"

"You promised me I could kill my father as soon as you were gone with him!" argued Wanda.

"Then kill him! Ah don't give a damn what you do anymore! Ah'm movin' ohn ta bigger things than Magneto ahn Mystique! So there's nothin' standin' in your way of gettin' even with your old man, got it? Just leave meh the fuck alone!" snapped Rogue angrily. Wanda took a step back in surprise at the amount of anger spurting out of Rogue.

"I'd watch your back from now on if I were you, Rogue. You cheated me out of my father's demise. Now I have his underlings to deal with before I can kill. I don't forgive easily." With those words Wanda brushed past Rogue and disappeared down the sidewalk. Rogue didn't bother looking to see if Wanda was truly gone or hiding to watch her. Rogue couldn't feel her presence anymore—she couldn't smell Wanda's scent either.

Rogue took a deep breath and struggled to clear her mind. She couldn't return to the mansion in a fragile state of mind. Instead she opted for a pissy mood. Wanda had no right threatening her. No one threatened the Rogue and got away with it. Unless…no, there was no unless. Or was there?

_Gawd, what's happenin' ta meh? _Rogue groaned and placed a gloved hand back on her forehead, rubbing it absently as she took up the walk back to the mansion.

**The Mansion:**

Rogue stuck her head into the laboratory and glanced around cautiously. It had been a miracle returning to the mansion undetected. No one had noticed her sneaking back in and down to the underground level of the mansion. Well, part of it had to do with the fact that Logan was out with Ororo at some fancy restaurant.

"Can I help you?" asked a female voice, momentarily startling Rogue. The teen moved out of the doorway to glance at the woman who was standing directly behind her.

"Um, Ah was wonderin' if ya could do an experiment for meh," replied Rogue hesitantly.

Moira frowned as she motioned for Rogue to follow her into the lab. "What kind of experiment? Nothing illegal I hope."

"No…Ah just want ya ta…compare blood types for meh."

"Yours and who else's?"

"Logan's."

Moira studied Rogue thoughtfully. "Is there something I should know?"

He might be mah birth father…but Ah only have Mystique's word to go ohn," murmured Rogue.

"I see. You think you can trust her?"

"That's why Ah want a blood test."

"Alright. You're lucky I have a vial of Logan's blood already. Roll up your sleeve and let me get some from you," said Moira with a small sigh. Rogue quickly complied and watched as Moira pulled on some gloves. Rogue didn't even feel the needle as Moira drew some blood. As the woman busied herself with the blood samples Rogue took the time to inspect the lab.

It was a plain grey-white color, and it made Rogue uneasy. Her eyes fell on the table, and her mind flashed back to a room of similar color. In this flashback there were men in long white lab coats standing around a shallow tank. Then Rogue popped out of the tank—no, that was Logan.

Shaking her head, Rogue turned back to Moira who was watching her warily. "Are you alright?" asked the doctor with a worried tone.

"Ah'm just tired. It's been a long day," said Rogue forcing herself to smile. Moira frowned, but luckily a small machine behind her beeped, turning her attention away from the southern teen. When Moira turned to face Rogue again she held a piece of paper in her hands. There was an astonished look on her face.

"This is remarkable…Mystique was right. Logan is your father, Rogue."

Rogue let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding. Logan was her father. She didn't know how to feel about this. They were on rocky terms still since before Alkali Lake.

"Are you sure?" questioned Rogue softly.

Moira nodded. "There's no mistaking it. You're Logan's biological daughter. He won't believe this."

"No!" cried out Rogue, startling both herself and Moira. "We can't tell him. Not yet. Ah…Ah need some time ta think. He's not gonna appreciate meh tellin' him Mystique had his child without him knowin'. Please, Moira, you've gotta keep quiet 'bout this for a bit—at least 'til Ah figure out how ta tell him."

The brunette doctor-scientist was quiet for a moment and then nodded in agreement. Rogue had every right to tell Logan herself. "Fine, but you better let him know before it's too late, you understand me?"

Rogue nodded gratefully and then turned on her heel and left the lab. Moira gazed at the doorway before glancing back down at the solid proof in her hands. With pursed lips she walked over to a small filing cabinet in the corner and pulled it open. She flipped through a few files until she found Rogue's and slipped the paper inside. Moira shut the cabinet and returned to her lab space to clean up.

Thoughtfully, Moira fingered the vial of blood that belonged to Rogue. She took a deep breath before labeling it. Just as she was about to put it away however, an idea formed in her head. Before she could think it through carefully, Moira uncorked the vial and took out a drop of blood, placing it in a small dish. She put the vial away and placed the dish beneath a microscope, focusing it until she could see clearly.

What she saw took her breath away.

**A/N—I figured to make up for its shortness I would turn it into a cliffhanger. I know, it's a horrible thing to do, but I wasn't sure what else to place in this chapter. Now, before anyone starts complaining, yes Rogue is out of character. Hopefully after reading this chapter you have an idea why. Anyway, I apologize for how long I took in getting this one out. I had a hard time picking up the story after the previous chapter. Hopefully it was worth the wait, and if not, well, I promise the next one will be better. New characters will be appearing.**


	43. The Next Step

**Disclaimer: Still doesn't belong to me.**

**42-The Next Step**

"It has just been announced that Edward Kelly Jr. is running for the New York Senate. Opposing him is one Graydon Creed. Both men are active members of the Republican Party—and both are calling for stricter regulations regarding mutants in the United States. Today's announcement is a crucial blow to Senate Democrats who have tanked in approval ratings here in New York with the explosion of the mutant population.

"It should be noted that Mr. Kelly is the son of the late Senator Kelly who died earlier this year in a mutant related incident. Mr. Creed, on the other hand is a relative newcomer to politics. He helped start up the Friends of Humanity, a grass-roots group hounding congress for the lack of national security in regards to mutants.

"This is Kimmie Bell with Channel 4 News. Back to you, Bob."

Sitting back in her seat on the couch Rogue dropped the remote down beside her. There was something familiar about the name Graydon Creed, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. She shrugged as she stood up; it would come to her eventually.

"Creed? Isn't that Whiskers' last name?" asked Tabitha before Rogue could leave the living room. Rogue paused and turned back towards the television thoughtfully. Creed. Victor Creed. That would be something worth looking into.

Tabitha looked over at the southern girl with a frown. Rogue was being unusually quiet again. Though, judging by the look in the brunette's eyes Tabitha decided there was something wrong with her. Rogue's eyes seemed to have a harried look about them. It almost looked as though Rogue wasn't all there anymore.

"Rogue, are you alright?" questioned the blonde suspiciously.

"Huh?" Rogue jolted out of her trance and glanced over at Tabitha. She blinked as though she was seeing Tabitha for the very first time. Recognition finally lighted up her emerald colored eyes. "Ah'm fine…just thinkin'."

"Right, because you like to think. Usually about this time you're threatening someone for waking you up to early, or for slacking off in the danger room. But lately you've been…I dunno, out of it. Is it your head?"

"No. At least Ah don't think so."

"You don't think so? Meaning you don't know?" demanded Tabitha narrowing her eyes.

Rogue shrugged. "Just the occasional headache for gettin' up too early, if ya really wanna know. Ah'm fine, Tabs…Ah'm just tired. Ah'm not used ta sittin' around doin' nothin' for this long. It's been ages since we've heard from the Brotherhood. Ah hate trainin' in the danger room—it's not the same as bein' out there in the midst of battle."

"I thought you didn't like getting your hands dirty."

"Don't Ah? Hmm." Rogue lapsed into thought again as she drifted out of the room, leaving behind a very confused and highly worried Tabitha. The blonde turned back towards the television as Graydon Creed appeared on the television screen making his public announcement.

The foyer was empty as Rogue entered. Her footsteps echoed off the marble tiles as she headed in the direction of the doorway. It opened before she could reach it. Rogue blinked in genuine surprise as she found herself face to face with Moira. The doctor-scientist also seemed surprised to find Rogue in front of her. Yet, there was something more in her eyes as well. Fear.

Moira murmured her apologies, stepping aside for Rogue to pass. The southern teen frowned but glided out the front door without a word. Scientists were a strange breed to begin with, as were doctors. She would definitely have to rethink her future career. Wait, since when did Rogue want to become a doctor?

"That's not right." Rogue shook her head, trying to clear it.

Inside Moira was leaning back against the door, heaving a huge sigh of relief. Ever since she had studied the sample of Rogue's blood, the older woman had been living in fear of the teen. It wasn't everyday that she saw someone with blood like Rogue's. Blood that…well, blood that was abnormal, even by mutant standards.

"The poor dear doesn't even know the half of what she is," murmured Moira to herself.

Back outside Rogue was making her way towards the front gates. Her hands were itching to get a hold of someone—anyone—just to hurt them. She craved blood. Or did she? Rogue groaned aloud as she brought a gloved hand up to her forehead. Things were starting to blend together in her mind.

"You okay?" came a worried voice. Rogue glanced up sharply, relaxing upon seeing Bobby gazing down at her with fear in his blue eyes. A lot of people in the mansion seemed to be looking at her like that lately. Rogue promised to look into the reasons why later.

"Yeah, Ah'm just gonna go for a walk. Clear mah head a little," said Rogue smoothly.

"Good, I'll join you—otherwise Logan was gonna offer me the grand pleasure of washing the jet." Bobby smiled good-naturedly, ridding Rogue of unease and dark suspicions on his intentions. There was no reason to fear Bobby.

The pair set off down the sidewalk that led into the main part of Westchester. The sun was shining brightly, and yet there was still a sense of danger in the air. Rogue could feel the hairs on her arms standing on end as though a winter breeze were blowing. Her eyes shifted nervously around as she inched closer to Bobby. Someone was watching them. Or watching her, that would be more likely at this point.

"Are you sure you're alright?" questioned Bobby as Rogue bumped into him. He stopped mid-stride to study the girl beside him. Her eyes glittered darkly as she looked past him and up at the museum that stood directly behind them. They had reached city limits without fully realizing it.

"There's trouble brewin'," answered Rogue crisply. "We shouldn't be here."

Before Bobby could speak, a familiar figure caught his eye. "Hey, isn't that—"

"Jonny." Rogue caught her breath as her eyes locked with those of St. John. His sandy brown hair was pushed back with a pair of black goggles, matching a contraption located on his back. The contraption looked to be a small pack with two pairs of hose linking around his wrists. Rogue took the contraption for a lighter pack. Apparently Magneto was sucking up to the teen to keep him with the Brotherhood. But judging by his smirk Rogue instantly knew that wouldn't be a problem.

_Turn around._

Rogue swirled around, ignoring the fact that it was impossible to hear St. John. An Asian woman with blue-violet eyes and black hair with purple streaks cropped at her chin was walking her way. And by the look in her eyes she was a force to be reckoned with.

Cracking her knuckles, Rogue stepped away from Bobby and turned to face her nameless would-be attacker. She wouldn't get another chance like this to kick ass in public, so Rogue was intent on enjoying every last second of it.

St. John chuckled as he came to stand directly in front of Bobby. "It looks to me that you've got yourself a little problem, mate."

"Yeah, and it smells like a traitor," returned Bobby coldly. He clenched his hands into fists, ice forming on his knuckles.

"You're the one goin' gaga over the worst traitor of 'em all." St. John motioned at Rogue whose back was facing them.

Rogue's mouth curled up into a small grin. "At least Ah'm dangerous, sugah. Ah cahn't say as much 'bout you ahn your little friend."

"Don't worry, Sheila, Betsy won't go easy on ya."

"Promises, promises." With that Rogue pushed past a few bystanders to greet the woman known as Betsy.

Betsy didn't even crack a smile as a bright purple blade appeared in one hand. With a sense of ease the Asian woman brought down the blade to slash at Rogue, but the southern belle had already moved to the side, hitting Betsy with a powerful roundhouse kick. Growling, Betsy lunged at Rogue opting for martial arts as the blade vanished from sight.

Bystanders began to notice the ongoing battle between the two females and quickly fled the scene. Nearby St. John had created a fiery horse in the air with the help of his new equipment. Bobby was already icing up to fight off the flame creature.

Rogue grunted in exertion as she executed a back flip to dodge another swipe of Betsy's blade. Obviously the woman was getting no where with just her martial arts skills. Rogue was turning out to be too fast for her. A flash of pain in her head sent Rogue falling to the ground. She gritted her teeth as she steeled her mind.

Betsy frowned as her forehead knotted up in concentration. Rogue chuckled. "Ah have barriers, sugah. Ya won't get far tryin' ta use your powers ohn meh."

"Damn brat," spat out the Asian in a British accent. Rogue grinned widely as she scrambled to her feet, tackling her new enemy to the ground. With a punch in the face, Rogue felt some blood spray onto her face from the gash on Betsy's lips. The purple blade reappeared yet again, only to be met by a set of claws. Both girls stared at Rogue's hand in genuine surprise. Rogue took the chance to roll onto her back, sending Betsy flying over her head.

Betsy landed hard onto the cement ground, her head darting up to glare at Rogue. She pushed herself to her feet and was about to launch another attack when a rush of air hit her. Looking upwards the woman stared in wonder at the winged man bearing down on her.

Rogue shook her head as Angel stopped his onslaught to cradle his head in his hands. Magneto had recruited a very powerful woman. Before Rogue could move forward and rescue her friend, Betsy was tackled by Wolverine. Her purple psychic blade appeared to meet his claws as Rogue turned her attention to Bobby and St. John.

She studied the flame carefully, her eyes tuning in to each flicker. Slowly the fiery horse began to shrink until it was gone altogether.

"Hey now, what happened to my fire?" cried out St. John inspecting his fire-pack. After ensuring that there was nothing wrong with his contraption his eyes traveled over to Rogue. Bobby took the opportunity to blast his former friend with enough ice to send the Aussie sailing onto the concrete steps.

"Psylocke, we better get outta here!" called out St. John nervously as he struggled back onto his feet. He glanced over at Rogue warily, clutching his right arm as though it were bruised.

"No problem," replied Betsy backing up away from Wolverine and Angel, who had descended to the ground. Her eyes found Rogue's as she retreated. "We'll finish this another time, Rogue."

Rogue pursed her lips thoughtfully and watched both Betsy and St. John take off down the street. There was a triumphant feeling in her heart as she contemplated what had just taken place. The Brotherhood had just put her back into business.

Wolverine watched Rogue carefully. He could sense something was completely off with her. She was becoming more and more withdrawn; her raging temper hadn't been seen the last month, and that worried him. Wolverine wasn't sure if it was because he felt Rogue was up to something, or because he feared something dangerous was happening inside of her.

"Come on, Stripes, lets get you home," said the older X-Man gruffly. Rogue looked over at him, her mind rejoicing at a chance to spend some time with her father, when something else crossed her mind. Her head turned away from her comrades to glance down the empty sidewalk. She creased her eyebrows as she tried to pinpoint the latest feeling.

Then a church bell rang.

"There's somethin' Ah hafta do first," murmured Rogue softly. She didn't bother waiting for a reply as she headed towards the sound of the ringing bell.

The church was a large and imposing gothic cathedral. The spires rose high into the air, with gargoyles placed sporadically around the high stained glass windows. Cement steps led up to the double set of oak doors. There was a holy, yet gloomy feeling about this place.

Rogue took a deep breath and made her way up the front steps, pulling one of the doors open so she could slip inside. The air was cool, the area dark; only a few candles flickered for light, with only a small beam of sunlight peeking through the stained glass. Rogue waited for her eyes to adjust to the dark as she made her way down the aisle towards the altar. She paused thoughtfully and gazed up at the large figure of the Christ hanging on the back of the wall.

"Rogue?" Kurt's voice was tentative as he slipped out of the shadows to study his sister closely.

"Ah guess Ah cahn see why ya like it here so much," started Rogue softly. "There ain't anyone else ta bother ya."

"It is a nice place to think. I do a lot of thinking you know," replied Kurt taking a seat in a pew.

Rogue sighed as she joined him. "Tabs thinks Ah've been thinkin' too much lately."

"You've been different lately. Everyone has noticed. You're not as angry as you were when you first arrived. You're more withdrawn now."

"The funny thing is that Ah'm still angry. Ah'm angrier now than before…but Ah haven't been able ta show it. The Danger Room isn't much of an outlet."

"You don't have to be angry anymore, Rogue. You have friends who care about you…and you have me. I'm your brother, I want to help you."

"Ah know, Kurt, but there's a lot you don't know 'bout meh. Ah'm not the same person Ah once was. Ah'm not even the same person Ah was while Ah was with the Brotherhood. Things have changed. Ah've changed, ahn not for the better," said Rogue.

Kurt frowned. "But you're on our side now, Rogue. We'll protect you no matter what."

"Cahn y'all protect meh from mahself?" asked Rogue sharply. She sighed and slumped in the pew. No one could protect her now—not even herself.

"I will try my best," promised Kurt solemnly. "That's what family is for. They stick together through thick and thin."

"A little corny, don't ya think?"

"I'm being serious, Rogue. You're my big sister…I know we got off on the wrong foot, and we haven't been talking lately, but I want to be there for you. I've gone my whole life without having a real family around. My foster parents were great, but they could never fill the hole in my heart. Now I have you."

Rogue chuckled. "Ah think you've been spendin' too much time in church, Blue. You're startin' ta sound all pious ahn whatnot."

"Ha. Ha. Very funny. I come here because I feel welcome…because God does not judge you by what you are or how you look. He is accepting of all creatures," retorted Kurt folding his arms across his chest.

Rogue raised an eyebrow in amusement, glancing at the teen boy beside her. She frowned slightly as she noticed part of his bare arm. Hesitantly she lifted his arm sleeve to study the markings on his blue skin. They were tattoos. "What are these?"

"Ancient symbols passed down from the Archangel Gabriel. I…I have one for every sin I have made," murmured Kurt.

"But why?"

"Because everyone sins, and by having them on my body I can always remind myself of my own so that I will not repeat them."

"You're a strange kid, Blue. But Ah like ya just the same."

"You have to like me, I'm your brother."

Rogue snorted. "I don't like Mystique and she's our mother."

"Good point." Kurt lapsed into a brief silence before speaking up again. "So, does this mean we can start over?"

"Yeah, Ah'd like that."

"Me too." Kurt reached over and grasped one of Rogue's gloved hands in his own and gave it a reassuring squeeze. They both glanced towards the back of the church at the sound of a cheer.

Jamie poked his head up from behind a pew and gave the siblings a sheepish grin. "Yay?" he suggested hopefully.

"You little snoop," muttered Kurt making a face.

Shrugging, Jamie made his way to the front of the church. "You were supposed to baby-sit me today, remember? You promised Moira you would so she could work in her lab some more."

"I did?" Kurt creased his eyebrows as he tried to recall making that particular promise. Rogue drifted off in thought as well, trying to remember why she had a sudden distrust in the woman doctor. Before either one of them got very far the church doors flew open and Tabitha rushed inside. She put her hands on her knees to catch her breath before joining the small church.

"You guys need to find a new hang-out," grumbled the blonde sniffing around in disdain. Mildew and incense filled her nostrils. A most disagreeable smell in her opinion.

"What's the rush?" asked Rogue with a small grin.

"I need you to do me a little favor." Tabitha grabbed Rogue by the wrist and dragged her a ways away from Jamie and Kurt.

"What kind of favor?" demanded Rogue suspiciously. No one could be trusted—not even Tabitha. She had ruined everything with Lance…no, that had been Kitty. Rogue rubbed her forehead as Tabitha spoke.

"Okay, so I was thinking of asking David to the movies or something, right? But you know what he told me when I suggested it? He told me that he would be honored—but only if my head was clear! So I asked him what he was talking about and he said he wouldn't feel right starting something with me when my mind is still on Lance. Can you believe it? He accused me of being in love with that idiot Lance!" Tabitha huffed darkly. "I _hate _it when men are right. That's not how it's supposed to be. So can you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Find Lance and see if he, you know, cares about me? Please, Rogue? I'll owe you, I swear I will. I just need to know if there's still something between Lance and me—or if there even was. You dated the guy, so you know how his eyes like to wander. I'd rather not pine away after him for the next ten years only to find out he didn't give…" Tabitha glanced around suspiciously as she chose her words carefully. It wouldn't do to get struck down by God if He actually existed. "Cared about me. Please?"

Rogue rolled her eyes. "Sure, why not? It's not like Ah had anythin' else planned for the day. Cahn ya make sure Blue ahn Jamie get home safe? The Brotherhood has new recruits—ahn they mean business. Ah met one of 'em earlier. She won't go easy ohn a couple of kids. Ah think she'd take a sick sense of pleasure outta killin' 'em."

"Yeah, sure, no problem. Baby-sitting is my specialty. Thanks Rogue. This means a lot to me."

Nodding, Rogue waved good-bye to her friends and departed from the church. Behind her she could hear Kurt protesting and Tabitha trying to explain what was going on. Outside, a soft breeze ruffled Rogue's hair, sending a white streak into her face. Her eyes shifted in the direction the wind was blowing, her nose picking up a familiar stench. With a wry chuckled under her breath Rogue took off in that particular direction.

There, standing in the middle of the outdoor food court was Toad. But not as Rogue remembered him. He stood taller, straighter, and with confidence. He was thinner too, but looked healthy. His skin was still tinged green, as well as his brown hair, but he was no longer the same cowardly, sick creature he had once been. The new Brotherhood had done wonders for him.

With a smirk Rogue made her way over to her old friend and tapped him on the shoulder. Toad turned around in surprise, his eyes widening as they fell on Rogue. "Roguey?"

"Toad."

"What are ya doin' here? I thought Betsy and St. John…oh. You didn't kill them, did you?"

"Ah'm not a killer, at least not yet. What are you doin' here all by your lonesome?" mocked Rogue tilting her head to one side.

Toad made a face. "Look, Roguey, you better get outta here. Mags wants you out of the picture for good. He says you're trouble with a capital T. I believe him. All you've ever done is used everyone to your own advantages. Wanda told us all about the deal you made with her."

"Wasn't that sweet of her? Lettin' y'all know she's just as screwed up as Ah am?"

"I don't wanna hurt ya, Rogue, but if you don't get your ass outta here I'm gonna hafta fight ya."

"You actually think you're in mah league, sugah?"

"You don't get it, Roguey. We've all changed. We're more powerful than before. We've been training our asses off for the last month. You don't know what we're capable of."

"Honey, Ah don't even know what _Ah'm _capable of. This shouldn't be any different than before. Twenty bucks says Ah cahn still kick your ass."

Toad chuckled. "You're on."

"Ohn one condition," stated Rogue raising a hand. "If Ah win you tell meh what Ah want ta know."

"It's a deal." With lightning speed, Toad leaped into the air, knocking Rogue to the ground. Rogue gritted her teeth as she hit the cement. She could feel blood trickling down her arm from a new scrape as she pushed herself back onto her feet. Toad blocked her next blow, making Rogue angry. The next few blows seemed almost choreographed in the way that Toad seemed to almost predict every move Rogue made.

Rogue broke apart, taking a step back to study Toad. Neither were particularly winded, but the ebb of battle was slowly starting to show. Rogue was covered in scrapes, including one running down the length of her cheek; Toad had a swollen eye and several bloody gashes on his arm.

"Give up?" he taunted with a wry grin.

Rogue snorted. "Not even close." Her eyes flickered upwards toward the sky as the wind around her began to pick up. Dark clouds were rolling in as the wind began to blow faster and faster. Toad looked around nervously, weather like that only meant one mutant, and she was one to be reckoned with.

Rogue's lips twitched in amusement, her mind going blank. Lightning seemed to flash in her eyes, thunder roared in her ears, and the wind whipped past her at an impossible speed.

Toad clutched a lamppost as the wind picked him off the ground. Rogue had a blank look on her face, her eyes clouded white. "Rogue, stop it!" he hollered, vying to be heard over the terrible storm. "You're gonna get us killed!"

But Rogue couldn't hear him. She could only feel—and what she felt was nature's fury.

A powerful earthquake shook Rogue out of her trance.

Toad breathed in relief as the storm vanished as quickly as it had come, dropping his feet back to the ground. Meanwhile, Rogue glanced towards the epicenter of the earthquake. A woman with jet black hair pulled back in a pony-tail and dark brown eyes was watching her. She stood beside a giant hole in the ground.

"Kill her," said the woman sternly as she glanced at Toad.

"What?" Toad jumped in surprise.

"Kill her."

"You're shittin' me, right? You want _me _to kill Rogue? Don't you know that ain't possible, Arclight?"

"Look at her, she's a weakling. Only a weakling would resort to using powers that don't belong to her for protection. You can take her down, Toad," responded Arclight darkly.

Rogue said nothing as she studied the latest member of the Brotherhood. Tough, strong, defiant—those words seemed to define her to a T. But Rogue wasn't fooled by the woman's exterior. This Arclight was no one to be intimidated by.

"If you won't kill her, then I will." Arclight came forward, hell bent on reaching Rogue, but found herself stopping short when a man stepped into her path. He was tall and slender with glossy black hair, matching goatee and mustache, and dark blue eyes. In his hands was a short wooden club.

"Good day, madam, I hope I am not intruding on your time," said the man smoothly in a light Scottish brogue.

"Get the hell outta my way, asshole!"

"I'm afraid I am under the strictest of orders not to."

"If you don't move your sorry ass then I'll hafta—" Arclight's angry spiel was broken by a sharp blast that sent her flying backwards. Rogue eyed the man's club suspiciously as he did a back flip to land beside her.

"Don't tell meh you're hurt already," growled Rogue as the man clutched his shin with a grimace of pain.

"An old injury. Lucky for us I brought along a friend to play with your…pests." The man gave a high pitched whistle that brought Juggernaut crashing out of the trees of the nearby park.

Arclight sucked in a sharp breath as she eyed her new opponent. She was smarter than she looked. Turning to Toad the woman said, "Come on, we'll deal with her another time."

Toad nodded and backed away from the battle. Rogue narrowed her eyes at him, freezing the teen in place. "Tabs wants ta know how Lance is farin' without her."

"He's goin' crazy," sighed Toad. With a melancholy shake of his head Toad turned around and fled after Arclight. Rogue watched them go, her body burning in pain and anger. She had never been bested in a fight before. Not like this. Toad had been training—and Rogue wanted to find out by whom. Someone was due for an ass kicking from hell. Instead she turned around to face Juggernaut and the limping man he had seemed to have brought along with him.

"Who the hell are you?" demanded Rogue harshly.

"Tom Cassidy, at your service, but you have my explicit permission to call me Black Tom," answered the man as suavely as possible. He bowed low with a flourish.

Rogue wasn't impressed. "Save it for someone who cares. Ah didn't need your help. Ah was doin' fine ohn mah own."

Juggernaut snorted. "'Course you were, that's why you're bleeding."

"Ah don't need anyone's help, dammit! Ah cahn take care of mahself!" snapped the southern belle, her voice raising an octave.

Black Tom made a face as he put a finger in his ear as if to clear it out. "Do you have to yell so loudly, dear? We are two men at your every whim. We are your army."

Rogue opened her mouth to argue some more, but promptly closed it, an idea forming in her head. She could use them. Yes, she could definitely use them. "Alright then, you're mah army. There's one condition though."

"Anything," promised Black Tom twirling his club in his hands.

Turning to Juggernaut, Rogue flashed the angriest face she could muster. "If Ah ever hear that you've been meetin' with Sabertooth again Ah'll kill ya! Ah don't like bein' double crossed—Ah don't show mercy, got it?"

Juggernaut plucked his helmet off his head and nodded solemnly at Rogue. The petite girl fumed inside. He was lying to her. The man was full of shit, and they both knew it. But she didn't have much of a choice…she needed them.

**The Brotherhood of Mutants:**

"Your daughter is becoming a problem," stated Magneto quietly.

Mystique frowned. "What do you want me to do about it?"

"Put a stop to it. I will not have my plans ruined by that conniving little heathen. One more stunt by her and it will be open season. Is that clear, my dear?"

"Always." Mystique turned on her heel and strode out of the study, shutting the door behind her softly. It wouldn't do to rile up her boss and lover. They needed to work together from now on—especially after the latest announcement by the humans. Graydon Creed and Edward Kelly Jr. were both running for the Senate. Danger had arrived.

With a serious look on her face, the blue shape shifter walked through the large compound until she had reached the rec room. The teens were strewn all over, discussing the latest encounter with Rogue. Apparently the old recruits were still in awe of their one time teammate. Mystique snorted as her eyes searched for one recruit in particular. Rogue was growing reckless.

"I need to talk to you." Mystique didn't bother to wait and see if the mutant in question would follow, he would. They always did these days. Magneto's temporary house arrest was driving even the most reserved and patient house members to death.

"Y' wanted somethin'?" questioned Gambit shuffling his deck of cards in a lazy manner. This one unnerved Mystique the most, but he was the best one for the job. Once a thief, always a thief. Gambit could be trusted to act in a stealth like manner for this assignment.

"I want you to watch Rogue. Protect her from anyone and everyone who goes after her. I will not see her killed!"

"I heard she's goin' crazy."

"Her mind is fragile—that's why I want you to watch her. If anything happens to my daughter I will hold you personally responsible and kill you myself."

"What's in it for me? The fille isn't de most likeable of filles. How long you gonna make me baby-sit her?"

"Until I say otherwise. If you can keep her alive I promise to take care of your little…problem down south," murmured Mystique crossing her arms in front of her chest.

Gambit continued to shuffle his cards for a few more minutes before finally returning them deep within his trench coat. "You got yourself a deal, but I don' want nobody ta find out about dis, you hear? I don' want the others ta start thinkin' my only specialty is baby-sittin' crazy filles. Den ol' bucket head would have me baby-sit his daughter—and Wanda is almost as crazy as Rogue."

"You've got yourself a deal, Gambit. Take care of my daughter."

"And you get rid of my problem. I'll be in touch."

Mystique pursed her lips as she watched Gambit saunter away, a cigarette already in his mouth. She sighed and rubbed her forehead wearily as her mind wondered back to her daughter. Fear tainted her heart as she turned to walk towards the bedroom she shared with Eric. Her only daughter…so near, and yet so close to being lost to Mystique forever.

**The X-Mansion:**

Moira rubbed her eyes in exhaustion as she straightened up. She had been staring through her microscope all afternoon, but no matter how many times she looked—or how long—she still saw the same thing.

It was an anomaly. It had to be. There was no way that Rogue's blood could be reflecting what Moira was seeing.

But it was. Moira had tested the blood—more than five times, and each time she had come up with the same results. Rogue was unique in more ways than she would ever know.

With a sigh, Moira leaned back over her microscope to study the blood sample one more time. Sure enough, the blood cells were clumped together in four different groups, as far away from each other as they could possibly be. What was even more unnerving was the fact that when each group of blood cells had been tested, Moira had come up with all four blood types. Type A, type B, type AB, and type O—Rogue seemed to have them all. And when Moira had taken another sample of blood from Rogue's tube the results had been mixed. Together, the blood cells could not be identified—only when they were placed in a dish and allowed to clump into their respective groups.

"It just isn't possible," muttered Moira under her breath. It wasn't, and yet it was. Now Moira had to decide what to do with this piece of information. There had to be an explanation for Rogue's blood anomaly, but what?

**A/N—Lordy, I can't believe how long it took me to come up with this chapter. I struggled, and I struggled, but here it is at long last. I hope you are pleased with it, and I will try to get the next eight chapters out ASAP before school comes to an end. Thank you so very much for being patient with me!**


	44. Partnerships

**Disclaimer: None of this belongs to me.**

**43-Partnerships**

"Whoa-o-oh! You—you're the one for me, and I—I'm the only for you!" The singer belted out her song, singing directly from the heart. As a result the crowd screamed even louder. Pink smoke filtered onto the stage as the stage lights began to flicker for added effect. Dancers appeared and the singer began a choreographed dance before launching into another verse of her song.

Kitty screamed along with the rest of the fans. Beside her Kurt was shifting from foot to foot nervously. First of all he didn't like pop music, and secondly, he was afraid someone would bump into him and break his image inducer and reveal his true self. Of course, Kitty wasn't concerned about it; she figured Kurt could easily teleport before anyone noticed the blue fur. Well, that or they would think Kurt was part of the show.

"Kurt, isn't this amazing?" hollered Kitty clutching Kurt's arm tightly. "The Dazzler is so totally my new favorite singer. I _have _to get the rest of her CDs!"

Kurt grimaced. He had a suspicious feeling that he would be the one buying the said CDs and then end up listening to them with Kitty for the next three months straight. Girls were quite possibly the most confusing creatures on the planet. He didn't know what Kitty saw in the Dazzler anyway. She was another willowy blonde with blue eyes—the same mold as every other bubble-gum pop singer who had graced the scene since Britney Spears. The songs all sounded alike to him—the dancing was emphasized way too much—and he really wasn't attracted to blondes.

"Thanks for getting these tickets tonight—it's the nicest thing anyone has done for me in a long time." Kitty gave Kurt a peck on the cheek before turning back towards the stage to scream some more. Kurt sighed, wishing he hadn't encouraged Kitty to stop listening to Michael Bublé last week. The Dazzler was his new least favorite singer of all time.

With a long face Kurt turned his attention back to the stage, praying fervently that the show would end soon. He wasn't sure how much longer he could last without trying to kill himself.

Onstage, the Dazzler was starting another song. This one just as bouncy and bubbly as the last one, but this time around something was different. The tips of her fingers began to glow, and then sparkle. As she pointed her finger out at the crowd, light seemed emanate towards the fans, bathing them in a bright light.

All around him Kurt could hear people murmuring—some in awe, others in confusion. The Dazzler's hands were flashing like a strobe light in beat to her music…and many fans were beginning to realize that it wasn't a special effect.

"She's a mutie!" exclaimed someone from behind Kurt and Kitty. Kurt sucked in his breath as he reached for Kitty's hand. Judging by her reassuring squeeze, she had heard the same thing. They had to get out of there, and soon. The crowd was beginning to rumble—and not in a positive way. Tugging on Kitty's hand, Kurt led the brunette towards the side of the outdoor arena. Behind them fans were picking rocks up off the ground and hurtling them at the stage, trying to hit the Dazzler. Kurt cringed as the music cut off suddenly. Apparently the riot was forming faster than he had thought it would.

"Kurt!" cried out Kitty stopping the German teen in his tracks. "We have to help her!"

"I knew you were going to say that," muttered Kurt. Kitty grinned in triumph as Kurt clutched her hand tightly. In a puff of smoke they appeared in the middle of the stage where a frozen Dazzler stood trying to make sense of the growing discord in the crowd. Her blue eyes blinked in surprise as Kurt offered her his hand.

"We're here to help you," he stated matter-of-factly. "You're endangering yourself as long as you stay here."

With wide eyes the Dazzler glanced back and forth between her angry fans and Kurt and Kitty. Without a word she grabbed his hand, clutching it like a life preserver. Seconds later the trio was gone.

**The X-Mansion:**

"Is she all right?" demanded Kitty anxiously. Professor Xavier smiled at his student, raising a hand in the air to silence her. Kurt rolled his eyes, but there was a hint of worry in his own eyes as well.

"Miss Blaire is going to be just fine. She is calling her parents to let them where she is."

"Is she going to stay?" asked Kitty, her eyes lighting up at being friends with a pop-singer.

"For the time being. Now, if you don't mind, I have another matter to take care of." Xavier chuckled as he wheeled himself down the hallway and into his study. Sitting at his desk was Moira, with a very strange expression on her face. "Moira, what can I do for you today?"

Moira chewed on her bottom lip for several long minutes before speaking. "I'm not sure where to begin, Charles. There's a lot on my mind."

"Please begin wherever you like…I have as much time as you need or want," replied Xavier gently. Moira nodded thoughtfully. Just as she was about to begin, however, the door to the study burst open.

A woman with short brown hair entered with a wild look in her brown eyes. Both Moira and Xavier stared at her in shock. After a temporary silence the woman spoke. "You have no right to raise my son without me, Charles Francis Xavier—and if you insist on keeping him cooped up in this…this mansion of yours then I am moving in!"

"Hello, Gabrielle. It's nice to see you too," murmured Xavier recovering from his bout of shock.

**Meanwhile:**

Rogue paced back and forth beneath the grove of trees, rehearsing what she wanted to say over and over again in her head. She was getting ready to tell Logan the truth. He had a right to know, and Rogue desperately wanted to spend time with him…or did she? Rogue groaned in exasperation. She wished her mind would stop switching thoughts on her. She was tired of second guessing herself day after day. The others were beginning to notice her tired eyes and lack of response when spoken too. Rogue was becoming too much of an introvert.

Plopping herself down on the nearby bench, Rogue gazed up at the sky. Nearby birds twittered happily, their song turning into something of a trance that mesmerized the southern belle. Dark thoughts began to flicker inside her head. Thoughts of power and control; thoughts of killing all the X-Men while they slept. Rogue gasped as she shook herself out of that last thought. She gripped her head as a sharp pain jolted through her brain. Rogue tried to catch her breath as she doubled over on the bench with a loud roaring sound in her ears.

A pair of strong arms gripped her shoulders lightly, and a gentle voice coaxed Rogue back to a pain free reality. Looking up with beads of sweat on her face, Rogue came eye to eye with a very worried Bobby.

"Are you okay?" asked Bobby helping Rogue straighten up on the bench.

"Ah…Ah don't know anymore," murmured Rogue bringing a gloved hand up to her forehead. She began to shake, her body heating up at the latest breach in her mind. With a look of concern Bobby reached an iced hand towards Rogue's forehead, gently touching it. Seconds later Rogue's breathing returned to normal, and her body stopped shaking. The heat subsided as Bobby drew his hand away.

"I'm worried about you, Rogue. Why won't you let anyone help you?"

"Ah don't know if anyone _cahn _help meh," said Rogue, her eyes darting down to the ground at her feet. Bobby sighed and leaned back in the bench. The pair sat like that, in a comfortable silence before Bobby spoke up.

"You have to learn to trust me, Rogue. I'm your friend, remember?"

Rogue nodded, and then cleared her throat. "Thank you," she whispered hesitantly. "Ah know Ah'm not the easiest person to try ahn deal with, but it's nice that you're tryin'."

Bobby grinned back good naturedly. "Yeah, that's me, the good guy. You better remember that too…I'm always here for you."

Rogue smiled back. "Ah will."

"Good, now how about we sneak off grounds and give you a breather, huh? I know Logan grounded you for a week after dealing with the Brotherhood the other day, but I figure you can use a break from the constant vigilance from all the doctors and adults breathing down your neck to check for any new battle wounds."

"You're willin' ta help meh sneak off grounds?"

"That's what friends are for, aren't they? Now, are you coming or what?" Bobby stood up and offered his hand to Rogue. The brunette tucked a strand of white hair behind one of her ears and placed her hand in Bobby's. She really did need a break from the mansion again. Just an hour ago she had been contemplating learning how to fly—without wings again. She was still avoiding Scott who had found her perched on the window sill the last time. Rogue simply didn't have a good excuse as to what she had been doing.

And Kurt was also watching her like a hawk. He had caught her watching the stove fire instead of dishes. The teen was convinced his sister was a closeted pyro, and he refused to let her anywhere near the kitchen by herself anymore. Quite honestly, some of the things Rogue did nowadays disturbed her to no end—as well as embarrassed her. Rogue was beginning to wonder what life would be like in a bubble just to protect herself from…well, herself.

Bobby led Rogue over to the garage, looking every which way to be sure no one was watching as they entered. Inside the garage Rogue was ushered over to Scott's old red convertible. She got in as Bobby slipped the car keys out of his pocket. The car started up without a problem, and the two teens were quickly speeding down the driveway, towards the main gates that had been left open.

As Bobby steered onto the open road, Rogue began to relax. A drive was exactly what she needed. The wind in her hair, no sound but that of the car engine, and the bright sunlight shining down on her skin, which was beginning to darken with all the time she spent outdoors. Yes, nothing could ruin her day now.

**Four Hours Later:**

Rogue muttered under her breath in a mixture of French and German as she silently followed Bobby through the foliage. Her day _had _been ruined—all thanks to spotting Avalanche, Colossus, and Psylocke heading in the direction of the army base. Of course Rogue had ordered Bobby to follow them. Upon seeing the enemy she had decided a real down to earth ass kicking would make her feel ten times better than ever.

Now, however, as the two teens made their way to the chain link fence that separated the army base from the outside world, Rogue was beginning to rethink her lapse in judgment. The small band from the Brotherhood had disappeared into the base almost twenty minutes ago—and Rogue wasn't ready to launch a full scale attack on the army. Of course, if she was thinking clearer she would conjure up an image of the base in her mind and teleport inside…wait, that wasn't right. Rogue couldn't teleport—only Kurt could.

"I see them…and I think they have someone," hissed Bobby, waking Rogue from her thoughts. The brunette edged closer to Bobby and peered through the bushes to glance in the direction he was pointing in. Sure enough the familiar form of Lance could be seen, with the large visage of Piotr right behind him. Betsy followed at a cautious pace…and there was another, petite figure following her. Rogue frowned as she tried to zero in on the fourth figure.

Her frown deepened as she noticed the searchlight of the base inching closer to the departing Brotherhood. With a shake of her head and a smirk on her lips, Rogue watched as the light revealed the escaping figures to the army. Sirens sounded out as the Brotherhood group began to run. Some break-in and break-out—whoever had planned this mission had sucked at their job. Insects, the lot of them were Rogue's immediate thoughts.

Rogue cringed as bullets pounded off Piotr's metal body. Directly beside him Lance was making the ground rumble as Betsy produced her purple blade to slice through the raining bullets. Bobby groaned in annoyance as the light centered on a blonde girl with blank looking brown eyes cowering behind Piotr.

"We should probably help them—they'll never get her out alive," he stated.

"You read mah mind, sugah. Why don't ya ice things over for a bit, huh?" suggested Rogue straightening. Bobby nodded and the two teens headed over to the chain link fence. Taking a deep breath Bobby placed his hands on the fence, watching as ice began to form. The ice flowed down the links, making the chains brittle enough to snap into various little pieces.

Rogue stepped through the broken fence and gave a sharp whistle. Lance turned around in surprise, a smile tugging at his lips. Betsy also turned, but her eyes flashed in anger at seeing Rogue. The southern teen tilted her head calmly. "Did y'all plan ohn standin' there all night, or did ya wanna escape before the army catches ya?"

Piotr gave a sharp nod, his eyes breaking away from the fast moving jeeps headed in their direction. "We go!" he ordered loudly. Betsy frowned but turned to run, Lance hot on her heels after he sent another quake in the direction of the humans.

"Meet back at the car," said Bobby before stepping forward with icy hands. Rogue pursed her lips thoughtfully as eyes caught sight of the girl that had been rescued from the base. Without thinking she motioned for Piotr and the girl to follow her. The girl was important to her cause. Humans would fear her just like she had feared the Nazis—when had she feared them?

Rogue growled under her breath as the trio crashed through the bramble in a fast escape. Every now and then she would sneak a peak back at the pair following her, and noticed the facial similarities between them. Of course…it all made sense. Rogue slowed her pace slightly, a plan formulating in her mind. It would be ironic, of course, but oh so brilliant, as well as cruel. But Rogue needed the trust of the X-Men if she was to ever break free of them…she needed complete trust, and this would be perfect. It was an opportunity she could not pass up.

"Where are you leading us?" demanded Piotr as they paused to catch their breaths.

"The mansion, where else?" retorted Rogue acerbically. Of course, she had no intentions of bringing Piotr back there…she needed leverage against him in the future. That's the way a true leader worked…but since when did Rogue want to be a leader?

"We aren't going there!" snapped Piotr grabbing Rogue's arm to twirl her around to face him. "I won't go back to them!"

"Ah wasn't askin' ya to…but d'ya honestly think Mags will care for your sister after what she's been through?" shot back Rogue.

"How could you possibly know what my sister has been through?"

"Juggernaut was there for a while too…trust meh, sugah, that boy ain't been right since. The only one who cahn help your sister out is the Professor—ahn you know it."

Piotr lapsed into silence. "I do not trust you. Magneto has said you are the enemy. You are a traitor."

"Well ten points ta meh—Ah've always wanted ta be the enemy. Look here, buddy, either you start thinkin' straight or Ah'll make ya think straight. Look at your sister—she needs professional help…ahn don't give meh that bullshit that Mastermind cahn do it. That one ain't right in the head either."

"How do you know about him?"

"Ah have mah ways."

"Leave Illyana and me—you are no help to us?"

Rogue snorted. "Sugah, ya ain't leavin' with that girl. Ah am." Just as Rogue had anticipated Piotr fell to the ground in a frozen stupor.

Bobby stepped out from behind the tree shaking his head. "What the hell were you thinking, riling him up? You don't stand a chance against him, Rogue."

"Ah know, but Ah had a feeling that ya were ohn your way. Cahn we go now?" Rogue turned away and began walking towards the hidden car as Bobby scooped the blank faced blonde into his arms. Rogue continued to amaze him to no end, but he was also starting to suspect that there was a lot going on in that mind of hers that even she didn't know about.

**At The Same Time:**

"And to our newest member—Dr. Nathaniel Essex—welcome to the Hellfire Club. You are now among the elite of the elite!"

Wine glasses clinked together after a polite applause. The man in question smiled appreciatively, his black and gray face studying the people around him diligently. He knew the rules of the game. No one was to be trusted in the Hellfire Club.

Standing off to the side of the elaborate party, a woman with long blonde hair and ice blue eyes played with her glass of champagne. Things were moving along nicely. Everything was going according to plan—soon all that she had ever desired would be hers.

"Gloating, are we?" teased another female voice. The voice belonged to a woman with dark black hair, and the strangest color of red eyes.

"Go screw yourself, Selene. I'm not in the mood for your paltry games," snarled the blonde.

"Bitchiness doesn't become you, Emma; it makes your face take on a most dreadful shade of purple. Please continue." Selene chuckled to herself as she walked away, leaving Emma behind to fume.

"Damn that woman to hell. Who does she think she is, anyway?" Emma downed the rest of her champagne before leaving the party behind. Her high heels clicked along the marble floor as she made her way down the hall. Making sure no one was watching, Emma slipped inside a large oak door, softly closing the door behind her.

"I've been waiting," murmured a male voice. Emma put on a winsome smile as the man's arms wrapped around her waist.

"I hope I've been worth the wait," she tittered playfully.

"Always." The man nuzzled her neck before asking, "What took you so long?"

"A new member was inducted tonight—I had to be there because I'm one of the four in charge. How was your day? I haven't seen you in ages now that you're campaigning for the Senate. You need to schedule more playtime or else you're going to get _very _lonely."

"I'd be more than willing to schedule you in every evening so long as you took the pains to actually show up."

Emma rolled her eyes as she broke away from her lover. "You know I can't do that, Gray. I have a society to run—I have a school to open—and I have a war to plan. Remember, you're the one who asked me to help you start a war between humans and mutants. How can I do that when you're coddling me all the time?"

Graydon Creed ran a hand down his face before speaking. "War between humans and mutants will be the only thing that will get either me or Kelly elected—your society is the perfect way to manipulate our kind in seeing how bad the mutant problem has become."

"I know, so just leave everything to me, darling. I'll take care of _everything_," said Emma coyly. She allowed Graydon to wrap his arms around her waist, their lips meeting as her mind drifted away.

Manipulation was her specialty. Only she, Emma Frost, could convince a shady human into thinking she was normal…and she had no intentions on ever letting Graydon find out that she was a mutant, and that the Hellfire Club was a mutant society. She needed him, just like he needed her.

**Elsewhere:**

Irene's sightless eyes peered over at the doorway as she heard her front door creak open. She didn't have to see to know who had entered her apartment.

"I was wondering when you would arrive," said Irene simply.

Mystique snorted. "You're a damn seer, Irene. Since when have you needed to wonder about anything?"

"I won't do what you want me to do."

"You haven't even heard me out yet."

"It's too dangerous, Raven. _She's _too dangerous. Working with her or even for her would be the end of me. I've seen my future, Raven, and if I stick around Rogue for much longer I'll die," replied Irene evenly.

"She's my daughter…I will not let any fucking prophecy swallow her up," snapped Mystique angrily.

"There's a chance she will destroy the Apocalypse—and then more problems will arise. Raven, you have to understand, your daughter is a danger to everyone around her—including herself. I don't see peace and tranquility in her life for a long time off."

"Irene, I need you—Rogue needs you. I know she doesn't trust you, but the least you can do is watch her, guide her from afar. Pass messages to her using my guy. I have Gambit trailing her in order to be sure nothing happens. Please, Irene, we've been friends for so long…don't turn your back on me now," pleaded Mystique with her heart in her throat.

Irene sighed. "Very well."

**The X-Mansion:**

Rogue trudged upstairs towards her bedroom wearily. It was well past her bedtime—the Professor had kept both her and Bobby up questioning them on the events at the army base. The girl they had found, Illyana, was doing better. She was sleeping down in the infirmary until further notice.

As she passed the second floor hallway window Rogue stopped suddenly to peer out into the early morning sky. For half a second she swore she saw a burning ball of fire in the air, but then within one blink it was gone. A frown fastened itself on Rogue's face as her heart began to race. It wasn't possible…it couldn't be…and yet, deep inside Rogue knew it was. She could feel eons of hatred building up inside of her—yearning to break free to join the fire ball.

Rogue pushed the window open and stood with her elbows leaning on the sill. Inside her mind she could sense the growing discord developing. It was almost as though her mind could feel the prophecies starting up. Yes, the prophecies. There were two of them—and they were still waiting for the right time to come. That time was now.

"Why aren't you in bed, Stripes?" demanded Logan gruffly. Rogue half turned to greet him. Despite his gruff exterior she could sense his worry. Rogue was becoming a regular magnet for trouble these days…she couldn't blame him for worrying, she was worried too. If for all the wrong reasons.

Would she complete things in time? Would she find peace with herself one day? Would she ever let Logan know she was his daughter? Would she ever be free from the confusion inside of her? Would she lose her mind? Was death imminent in her future? Would she ever get the power part of her thirsted for?

"Ah'm headin' that way," murmured Rogue glancing back outside. Logan peered out as well, but didn't see anything worth looking at.

"Right. Come on, kid, you've had a long day. You need your sleep." Logan placed a hand on Rogue's shoulders and began to lead her in the direction of her room. Reluctantly, Rogue tore herself away from the window.

Her plans…whatever they were…could wait until tomorrow. She had a feeling tomorrow would be a big day. And those were the type of days Rogue lived for.

**A/N—Shorter, uneventful, and I'm not quite sure I liked parts of it, but still very important to future events. Thanks for reading.**


	45. Dark Tidings

**Disclaimer: This is not mine.**

**44-Dark Tidings**

Rogue shifted positions, trying to concentrate on the plate of food in front of her. Today was harder than most days to eat. She had the itch again. Her fingers drummed the tabletop impatiently, her heart felt as though it were jumping out of her chest, and every little sound made her jump in her seat.

On either side of Rogue, Tabitha and Bobby were exchanging glances. The entire table kept shooting Rogue furtive looks as if that would help them decipher the southerner's fidgety state. Across from Rogue, Kurt and Kitty were whispering together conspiratorially. Neither one of them could seem to agree on what the other suggested, thus leaving Rogue alone to continue her drumming.

Further down the table, however, Rogue's latest habit was driving one Alison Blaire nuts. The blonde pop singer winced as the drumming began to give her a headache. She kept shooting dark glares at the southerner, but Rogue seemed oblivious. Rogue's eyes stared at the blank wall behind Kurt, without really seeing it.

Rogue, meanwhile, was busy thinking…or trying to think. Her mind kept jumping from one random thought to another. It had started with a German prayer, then became the last score she had made in a football game, then she was thinking about fire, then she was thinking about the last rainstorm, then it was all about killing Sabertooth, which was then followed by thoughts of _Star Wars_ and boys, to beating Evan in everything he did, to killing her father for putting her in an asylum, to killing her brother for locking her up on an army base, then it was all about destroying Kelly's home in an earthquake, to lighting fireworks, then became thoughts on her past in a concentration camp, to the time she had been stoned for showing her blue skin, and then finally became thoughts of Scott.

"Stop it!" screeched Alison pushing her chair back as she got to her feet. "Jesus Christ, would it kill you to give it a rest?"

Rogue blinked in surprise, her fingers pausing as she began to crave a cigarette. Rogue relaxed at that last thought. Yes, that was more like her. She sat back in her seat with a thoughtful look on her face as her mind concentrated on finding a cigarette. Awkward silence filled the dining room as Alison plopped back down in her seat. At the head of the table the adults eyed each other carefully, trying to piece together Rogue's latest state of mind.

Moira dropped her head and moved her eggs around idly with a fork. She had never gotten the chance to talk to Xavier about Rogue. Things had been hectic since Gabrielle had arrived—and the woman hadn't left yet. Xavier was doing his best to convince her that David didn't need his mother around to coddle him, but Gabrielle had been adamant. She wasn't leaving the mansion, and Moira was inclined to believe her.

With another sigh Moira glanced in Rogue's direction. The brunette was toying with a strand of white hair now, oblivious once more to everything around her. Moira took a deep breath as she pushed herself onto her feet.

"Rogue, can I have a word with you?" she asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence. Everyone at the table glanced up in genuine surprise. Rogue blinked back to reality and nodded once. The teen stood up and followed Moira out of the dining hall.

Moira led Rogue downstairs to her lab. She always felt more comfortable there. Rogue was silent the entire way. She was getting better at keeping her mouth shut…and it was starting to unnerve her.

"What did ya wanna talk 'bout?" questioned Rogue taking a seat on a stool in the lab.

"Have you talked to Logan yet?"

"No. That's not why ya wanna talk ta meh, is it? Ah hate gettin' lectured ta. Ah don't take it very well."

Moira shook her head as she rummaged around for a needle. "No, I want to take another sample of your blood, if you don't mind?"

"Ah guess. Whaddya need it for?"

"I want to double check something that I've noticed after studying your last sample."

Rogue rolled her eyes. "Now you're gonna tell meh that ya don't think Ah'm Rogue—that Ah'm someone else."

"Something like that," replied Moira seriously. Rogue frowned but rolled up her sleeve and offered Moira her arm. The scientist-doctor took another sample of Rogue's blood and turned to deposit it in another dish. Rogue watched curiously as Moira placed the dish beneath a microscope, muttering under her breath the entire time.

"Well?" murmured Rogue as Moira straightened back up.

"I want to show you something. Come look through the lens and tell me what you see."

Rogue hopped off the stool and placed her eyes over the microscope. It took her a while before she could focus on the blood sample. "Is it supposed ta be all clumped together like that in four different groups?"

"No," answered Moira. The tone in her voice made Rogue look up sharply. Moira continued. "What you're looking at is an anomaly unlike any other. I tested each of those groups and found that you have all four possible blood types."

"What does it mean?" demanded Rogue as she began to panic. She didn't need any more problems to add to her already growing list. She had already begun to consider herself something of a schizophrenic.

"I'm not sure; I'm still trying to figure that out. The best hypothesis that I can come up with is that it is a result of your powers. Rogue, you can borrow powers, and yet, no one is entirely sure what it does to you in the long run."

"Ya mean like a permanent effect?"

"Yes. I think that every time you 'borrow' a power you incorporate a part of that person within you. Not just an imprint of their personality in your own mind, but I think you almost become that person by taking on some of their more unique…traits."

"How is that even possible?"

"Mystique has the ability to look like anyone she wants to look like…whereas you have the ability to have the powers of anyone you touch. Powers come from a special gene that many have come to know as the X-gene. It's possible that after you borrow someone's powers—or life source—that the DNA needed to make those powers develops inside of you, giving you the same blood type as the person you originally borrowed powers from. Do you understand what I'm telling you?"

"Yeah," replied Rogue sinking back down on her stool. "Ah think Ah do. What does it all mean in the…long run?"

"I'm not sure yet. I would have to do more tests…and study you as well. Rogue, you've seemed a little distracted lately. Would you care to tell me what's going on?" Moira watched Rogue carefully as the girl drifted off in thought once more. "Rogue?" repeated Moira gently.

Rogue looked up in surprise, glancing around at her surroundings. A minute later she answered as though she had never drifted off. "Ah'm not sure what's goin' ohn with meh. One minute Ah'm doin' somethin' ahn the next Ah'm thinkin' 'bout somethin' Ah've never done before. At first Ah thought it had somethin' ta do with mah last little…power outage. When Ah lost control Ah couldn't remember who Ah was or what Ah was doin'. It was like Ah was watchin' mah body from the sidelines. Ah couldn't control mahself," said Rogue. "Ahn lately, Ah dunno, Ah think Ah'm gearin' up for another freak out. Sometimes Ah find mahself using powers Ah shouldn't have."

Moira nodded absently. "It could be a result of all the different X-genes trying to take control of your own X-gene. It would make sense. I think you're gaining a lot of unwanted DNA—and it's struggling to make room inside of you to be free."

"Great," muttered Rogue darkly. "Ah really am a freak."

"You're not a freak, Rogue, but you _do _have powers unlike any other I have every heard of. You have the—"

"Ah know, Ah know," sighed Rogue. "Ah have the potential ta be the most powerful mutant in the world. Everyone keeps tellin' meh that, they don't realize how unnerving it is ta an eighteen year old. Ah never asked ta have powers—Ah never wanted ta be a mutant. Ah would give anythin' ta be human again. This isn't the life for meh."

"No one ever asked to be a mutant," started Moira gently in her brogue, "but sometimes life throws you an unexpected twist. You just have to learn to accept who you are and try and utilize your gifts in the best possible way you can."

Rogue chuckled dryly. "That's the problem; sometimes mah powers do things without askin'. Ah'm not the one in control anymore—Ah never have been."

"I'm trying to find a way to help you, Rogue. You don't have to go through this alone."

"Ah know…but what if ya cahn't help meh? What if Ah become a lost cause?"

"I'm not saying I can produce a miracle for you, Rogue, but I won't give up on you. Neither will anyone else here. Until then, however, you just need to make the best of what you have. Don't push people away because you're afraid of hurting them. Keep them close—maybe they'll keep you in one piece longer."

"You think so?" questioned Rogue wistfully.

Moira shrugged wearily. "You never know until you try."

**Upstairs:**

Bobby paced back and forth in the foyer as Kitty and Kurt watched on. The pair was seated on the bottom step of the staircase, watching their friend worry himself to death.

"It's probably nothing serious," stated Kitty.

Kurt shook his head. "What if Dr. MacTaggert is telling Rogue she only has six months to live? Or what if she found out that Rogue is really crazy and they have to lock her up forever? Why aren't we pacing?" he demanded jumping to his feet. "Rogue could be in trouble and there's nothing we can do about it!"

"Gettin' a little ahead of yourself, aren't ya, Blue?" teased Rogue as she appeared in the foyer. Bobby and Kurt blinked in surprise to see the brunette standing there.

"You're alive!" cried out Kurt launching himself at his sister. Rogue made a face and wheezed in pain as the German teen hugged her tightly.

"Not for much longer," she hissed breathlessly. Kurt's eyes widened and he quickly let go of Rogue.

"Sorry, we were worried," apologized Kurt sheepishly.

Bobby nodded in agreement. "Yeah, you were down in the lab for a long time. What did Dr. MacTaggert want with you?"

"Nothin' much," replied Rogue with a shrug.

"Nothing much?" asked Kitty with a raised eyebrow. "Are you sure?"

"Well…it wasn't important," murmured Rogue softly. She placed a smile on her face and turned to Bobby. "Ah was gonna head into town ta get a pretzel, wanna come?"

"Yeah, sure," said Bobby eagerly. Rogue smiled brightly and grabbed Bobby's hand in her gloved one, leading him towards the door. She was going to take Moira's advice to heart. She wasn't sure how much longer she would still be herself.

Kitty watched as Rogue and Bobby disappeared out the front door with a grin on her own face. She glanced up at Kurt who was still trying to make sense of what had just happened. With a sigh Kitty got to her feet and wrapped her arms around Kurt's waist, resting her forehead against his back.

"She's fine, Kurt. She looks ten times better than she did this morning. Whatever Moira talked to her about did Rogue wonders. She almost looked happy."

"With Bobby?" asked Kurt incredulously.

Kitty giggled and turned Kurt around to face her. "Yes, silly. Bobby's our friend. He really cares about Rogue—and if she likes him then we should encourage it. She's had poor choice in guys up until now. Bobby will be a good change for her."

"I hope you're right…who's gonna tell Logan?"

"We'll tell him later."

Kurt smiled as he leaned down to kiss Kitty on the lips. Things were finally starting to settle down around the mansion—and all for the better. Kitty smiled into the kiss, but the pair was interrupted by a knock at the front door. Kurt groaned as they broke apart.

"This had better be important," he muttered under his breath as he let go of Kitty and went to answer the door. His mouth fell open when he found Amanda standing on the doorstep with a suitcase sitting beside her.

"Kurt!" Amanda hurled herself into Kurt's arms, sobbing into his shirt. Kurt awkwardly patted her back as he turned to face Kitty. Judging by the look on her face, this wasn't the right step forward in their re-blossoming relationship.

**Elsewhere:**

Dr. Bolivar Trask nodded briskly at the lab aid as he walked down the sparse hallway of the lab. He was an imposing man in his own right. Tall and handsome with graying brown hair and brown eyes, as well as a growing mustache. He pushed open a glass door and strode into the small office where another scientist was working away on her computer.

He dropped a folder onto her desk, startling the dark haired, brown eyed woman. She looked up in surprise.

"Look inside," instructed Dr. Trask snidely. The woman opened up the folder and glanced at the first paper that greeted her eye. Minutes later she was shuffling through the rest of the file, scanning the contents inside.

"What does this mean?" she asked with a slight accent.

"It means my hypothesis was right all along. Mutants will one day replace the human race. We are an endangered species, Kavita."

The Indian doctor rolled her eyes. "That's not new news, Bolivar. You're just trying to prove to the government that your Sentinel project is a needed addition in the war against mutants."

"This information is going to give both of us the grants we need to continue doing what we are doing. I will make my Sentinels—protectors of human-kind—and you will work on your Hope project—the possible cure for mutants," replied Dr. Trask flippantly.

"Do you think the government will buy it? Those papers of yours, I mean?"

"They hired S.H.I.E.L.D. to do their dirty work, didn't they? Just think of it, one day we'll be famous. Dr. Bolivar Trask, the creator of the god-send Sentinels, and Dr. Kavita Rao, the woman who cured mutants!"

Kavita chuckled in amusement. "So long as we get our grants to continue our projects, I don't give a damn what I'm labeled as."

"That's the spirit!"

**At The Same Time:**

Sabertooth growled to himself as he darted down the sidewalk. He had been given one simple mission, and already it was going down hill. Sinister had ordered him to watch Rogue—follow her every move the next couple of days without being seen—but apparently that was not to be.

The tawny haired beast cast a furtive look over his shoulder, cursing his luck. Of course today would be the day that uniformed men he vaguely recognized followed him at a fast pace. Whoever the men were, they meant business; and Sabertooth had a nagging feeling that they had something to do with the past he couldn't remember.

Meanwhile, Rogue and Bobby ambled down the sidewalk just talking. Bobby had discovered that when Rogue wasn't hiding in her shell she was a very likeable, sweet girl; and Rogue had discovered that she missed being the carefree person she had been before she had gained her powers in Mississippi. It was nice to just be normal with another person. And she was quickly discovering that there was more to Bobby than met the eye. He was a sincere, caring, funny guy—and Rogue liked that about him.

"I tried telling Kurt that he had forgotten his pants, and that he was walking around in nothing but a shirt and his boxers, but Evan wouldn't let me. He filmed the entire thing instead. It was a week before Kurt would talk to us again—at school he was known as Captain Undies. The jocks teased him about it up until he and Kitty started dating."

Rogue chuckled. "That sounds like Kurt—always rushin' off without makin' sure everythin' is in order. Hey," she said suddenly becoming more serious, "do ya think Kitty ahn Kurt are gonna start datin' again?"

"They might as well if they already aren't. They're meant to be together," replied Bobby with a nonchalant shrug. "Why do you ask?"

"Shouldn't she like ask mah opinion or somethin'? Kurt _is _mah little brother."

"Right, because you and Kitty have the greatest history together. She's probably afraid of you."

Rogue made a face. "Then Ah guess Ah'm gonna hafta have a lil' talk with her. Ah'm tryin' ta do things right this time—ahn that means lookin' out for Kurt's best interests."

Bobby grinned. "Alright, as soon as we get back to the mansion we'll sit Kitty and Kurt down and drill them."

"Maybe we should have Logan do it. He's a lot more intimidatin' that Ah am."

"Actually, the newer recruits would say otherwise. Half of them volunteered to do extra Danger Room sessions the other day rather than convince you to make dinner for everyone. They hide whenever you enter the room—no one wants to make eye contact with you."

"Really? Ah haven't noticed that. Ah'll hafta try ahn pay attention from now ohn," murmured Rogue thoughtfully.

"Why haven't you been paying attention, Rogue? You've seemed really out of it lately." This time there was no teasing manner in Bobby's tone.

Rogue shrugged uncomfortably. "It's nothin' much…Ah've just had a lot ohn mah mind."

"Like what?"

Rogue went silent. Bobby stopped in his tracks and made Rogue turn to face him. "Don't clam up on me, Rogue. I'm here for you, dammit! Why won't you let me in? I really care about you…and I want to help you!"

"Bobby…" Rogue sighed in frustration. "It's complicated."

"Try me."

"Logan's mah father."

Bobby blinked in surprise. "What?"

"Mystique finally told meh that Logan is mah birth father…ahn Ah had Moira double check. Well, he is. Ah've been tryin' ta find the right time ahn the right way ta tell him. It's a big deal. What if he doesn't want meh?"

"Rogue, haven't you noticed the way Logan watches you like a hawk? He's ten times more protective over you then anyone else in the mansion. Tabitha can break the rules a hundred different times—but you break a rule once and you're grounded for a month while Tabby only gets to clean bathrooms. Remember when you and Warren started dating? Logan worked him to death in the Danger Room. Rogue, I think Logan would be relieved to know you're his daughter—then he'd have an even bigger reason to not let you out of his sight," pointed out Bobby gently.

"Are you sure?" questioned Rogue hopefully. Bobby nodded. Rogue wiped away a stray tear before allowing Bobby to pull her into a hug. She had needed to hear that. Now she could finally talk to Logan.

The two teens were oblivious to the world around them, until the sound of a gun firing startled them. Rogue's eyes widened in fear as she realized just how vulnerable they were out in the open; around them people were beginning to scream and flee in fear. Rogue gritted her teeth as Bobby pulled her down to the ground. Humans fled from everything, and it was beginning to grate on the southerner's nerves.

Bobby placed a protective arm around Rogue as they cowered down beside a stone bench. He glanced around to try and determine where the gunfire was coming from. Eventually he sighted the source of the panic. Sabertooth was running down the sidewalk with armed men hot on his heels.

"Who the hell are they?" demanded Rogue as she too spotted Sabertooth and the armed men.

"Don't know, and I don't particularly _want _to know. We need to get outta here in case they're bounty hunters. Our faces have been plastered on the news before—they might recognize us."

Rogue nodded sharply and clutched Bobby's hand as the two slowly stood up, keeping the stone bench in front of them. The moment they came into view though, Sabertooth let out a fierce growl. Here was the girl who had caused him so much trouble. If Sinister hadn't wanted him to follow her Sabertooth would be holed up in the Brotherhood hideout, sharpening his nails.

"Ah don't think he's happy ta see us," hissed Rogue as Bobby placed himself directly in front of her.

"They never are," said Bobby. Before the blonde teen could ice up, Sabertooth was tackled to the ground. Rogue peered around Bobby hopefully, figuring Logan had sniffed them out, but it wasn't Logan on top of Sabertooth. It was someone Rogue had thought dead. It was Lady Deathstrike.

Despite the fact that Rogue had never seen the Asian woman before in her life, she knew without a doubt that this was the mutant Logan had battled and killed at Alkali base. Apparently she wasn't as dead as Logan had thought.

"You've got to be fuckin' kidding me." Logan's voice made Rogue's head swivel to the side. There stood the gruff X-Man staring at Lady Deathstrike in complete shock. With a growl his claws popped out of his knuckles as he made his way over to the Asian woman and Sabertooth.

"Ah don't think this is gonna turn out ta be a happy reunion," murmured Rogue in Bobby's ear.

Lady Deathstrike got to her feet, watching warily as Sabertooth did the same. Her attention darted to the approaching Logan. "We don't have time to screw around," she said sharply. "These men are after us."

"Define 'us'," snapped Logan.

"They come on behalf of S.H.I.E.L.D."

Sabertooth made a face. "Who the hell are they?"

"Strategic Hazard Intervention, Espionage and Logistics Directorate," replied Lady Deathstrike. "They made us into who we are today. We are part of what was once known as Weapon X—and it seems they are eager to get us back. Stryker was in charge of Weapon X a long time ago. I would suggest drilling him for answers—but _someone _had to go and kill him a couple of months ago."

Logan snorted. "He had it coming. Now why don't you tell me how in the hell you survived?"

"My healing powers took a long time to kick in and heal my wounds, but it seems that the adamantium that you injected in me fused into my bones turning me into something of a mutant shield. I'm practically invincible thanks to you."

"Way to go," muttered Sabertooth glancing at the approaching armed men. "So what do we do about them?"

"There ain't no we, bud. I'm takin' Rogue and Bobby outta here—this ain't their fight. And frankly, I don't give a damn about Stryker and his operations anymore. I don't have time to go running around after my past—not during a war," snarled Logan turning to go.

Sabertooth shot out a hand to grasp the other man's shoulder. "They'll take her. They'll find out what kind of powers she has and use her—just like us. We are fighting machines—born killers. What makes you think they won't turn Rogue into one of us? We both know how dangerous that she-devil is."

Lady Deathstrike followed Logan's gaze over to Rogue. She studied the teen girl curiously. "If she is as dangerous and powerful as your friend says, then this _is _your fight. Even if she weren't powerful they'd want to use her as a lab rat. They're always looking for mutants to test on."

Logan pulled away from Sabertooth and turned back to the soldiers in front of them. "Fine, then let's get this over with. I don't have all day." He called over his shoulder, "Rogue, Bobby, don't go anywhere! Stay put, got it?"

Bobby nodded briefly as he squeezed Rogue's hands. The two teens watched as Lady Deathstrike, Sabertooth, and Wolverine launched themselves into battle mode against the armed men. Rogue watched with genuine interest, studying the styles each of the mutants used versus the humans. Logan and Sabertooth were practically animalistic in their fighting skills—lashing out with their claws. Lady Deathstrike on the other hand was a little more clean cut with her extended nails—but no matter how many bullets seemed to strike her, they all bounced off as if she were made of metal.

"Crap," said Bobby glancing to the side. Rogue looked and frowned. Several soldiers were approaching them with their guns drawn. Bobby clenched his hands into fists, ice slowly forming up his arms.

"Don't try any funny stuff, kid, or I'll shoot your little girlfriend," threatened one of the men.

"Shoot her and you'll see first hand why humans fear mutants."

"Have it your way then." The man aimed his gun at Bobby and pulled the trigger just as Rogue kicked the gun out of his hands. The weapon fired, hitting one of the man's comrades in the arm. As Bobby iced the soldiers attacking them from the front, Rogue twirled around to deal with the men sneaking up behind them. She was breathless as one man grabbed her from behind.

"Let go of meh!" she shrieked. In Rogue's mind she could feel her powers itching to drain the man, and the sane part feared the consequences. Anger began to build up inside of her. She hadn't done anything—that she could remember—to these men. What right did they have to attack her? Another part of her mind however was fuming over the possibility that she could be turned into a lab rat. Rogue would rather kill herself than be tested on by humans.

With that last thought Rogue broke free of the soldier's grasp. Her fingertips fizzled as she pointed a single finger at the soldier who had had a hold of her. "Ya pissed meh off—ahn now y'all are gonna pay."

The man's eyes widened and he turned to run from the angry teen with fire in her eyes. Rogue shot him in the back with fireworks, smirking in satisfaction as he fell to the ground. Behind her another soldier aimed his gun, only to have it float into the air and point itself at him. Rogue twirled around and raised her eyebrows in amusement as the man placed his arms into the air.

Bobby glanced up from the latest soldier he had frozen and did a double take as the gun began to pull the trigger. "Rogue!"

The gun fell to the ground in a clatter as she turned to look over at Bobby. She frowned in confusion as the soldier in front of her ran off screaming. It was as though she didn't know what she had been about to do. Bobby ran a hand over his face as he made his way over to the brunette.

"Rogue—" His next words were interrupted by a shadow flying over them. Both Bobby and Rogue glanced into the sky at the latest mutant to join the scene. This time it was one they had never seen before.

The mutant was a broad built red and silver man with scraggly blonde hair pulled back into a pony tail, and with a red headband around his forward. His eyes were a fierce red, but that wasn't the most impressive part of him. The mutant also had two silver tentacles on either side of his body. The small group of mutants already on the ground paused to watch the newcomer land in front of them.

"Now what?" demanded Logan in exasperation.

Lady Deathstrike sucked in her breath. "He is not on our side—he worked for Stryker once too. My guess is he's still working for S.H.I.E.L.D."

"Who is he?" asked Sabertooth studying the mutant in front of him.

"I am called Omega Red—and you three are coming with me. Weapon X has been recalled—it is too dangerous for you to roam the streets any longer," answered the man in a gruff, accented voice.

"Not if Ah can help it," stated Rogue floating into the air. Around her the wind began to pick up as metal rattled on the street below. Logan gritted his teeth as his body became glued to the ground. Lady Deathstrike had a similar look of pain on her face as well.

"You think you can stop me?" chuckled Omega Red. "You are foolish."

"Not as foolish as you!" Rogue extended both her hands, pushing the wind against Omega Red. Her hands crackled with fireworks and cars flew off the ground, crashing into the evil mutant. Omega Red knocked the cars aside, causing them to burst in flames. Rogue manipulated the flames to edge closer to the Russian mutant as his tentacles whipped up towards Rogue. The southern girl felt the breath rush out of her as the tentacles tightened around her waist. In that brief moment she felt the powers inside of her subsiding—she was growing too tired to keep control, and the powers were tired of fighting for control.

Rogue began tugging at the tentacles around her waist, hoping to free herself before Omega Red pulled her to the ground. Logan was already moving with his claws extended to their full length. Keeping Rogue firmly in the grip of his tentacles, Omega Red swung a fist into Logan, knocking the X-Man backwards. As Sabertooth and Lady Deathstrike tried their own attacks, Rogue struggled to gain control of the powers inside of her once more. But no matter how hard she tried, nothing happened. Instead, Rogue tugged off a glove and prepared to drain Omega Red as soon as she was out of the air. She knew that part hadn't vanished—not with her luck.

Down on the ground the three Weapon X protégés were struggling to get back on their feet. Omega Red was a powerful foe—he hit harder than a speeding train. Omega Red, however, was concentrating on Rogue as he finally brought her down to the ground. As soon as she was within reach Rogue shot out a hand towards Omega Red's face—only to be pulled backwards by a pair of strong arms.

"We have come to rescue you!" announced Black Tom as Juggernaut grabbed Omega Red from behind. The slender mutant gripped Rogue around the waist and used his club to blast away the tentacles. Omega Red was too busy battling with Juggernaut to notice he had lost his prisoner.

Rogue stumbled to the ground in a daze, trying to catch her breath. Her head felt woozy and black spots were all she could see. Placing a hand on her head she tentatively placed the other on the cement to keep herself steady. She could feel her forehead burning up with a fever before she slowly replaced her glove on her hand. Something was very wrong with her.

"Rogue!" Bobby was instantly at Rogue's side as Black Tom stood up to take a protective stance in front of them. Despite the fact that he was outnumbered Omega Red wasn't slowing down. Just when it seemed Omega Red would win the battle an alarm sounded, startling the group of mutants.

"That is my cue to leave. We are not finished yet, Weapon X. I will hunt every last one of you down," vowed Omega Red solemnly. He turned on his heel and stalked away, leaving the rest of the group in shock.

Lady Deathstrike glanced around warily as another alarm sounded out. "I think we should go as well. I think it'll be a mutant roundup if we stay any longer."

Logan nodded sharply, turning as Bobby called out to him. "Logan, we need to get Rogue back to the mansion. I think she's sick."

Everyone glanced down at Rogue whose face was drenched in sweat. Her lips were moving, mumbling incoherent words. Every few seconds her head would snap side to side. Logan rushed over and bent down beside Rogue. He placed his hand on her forehead, only to snatch it away as though he had been burned. Without a word he scooped Rogue into his arms and stood up.

"We'll finish this another time," he said to Lady Deathstrike. The Asian bowed her head in understanding, watching Rogue curiously. Logan jerked his head at Bobby, and the trio turned in the direction of the mansion.

Lady Deathstrike watched them go, her mind racing. "The prophecy," she murmured.

"Come again?" asked Black Tom.

"That girl is the prophecy." Lady Deathstrike turned to Black Tom and Juggernaut with an unreadable expression on her face. "Do you work for her?"

"What's it to you?" demanded Juggernaut suspiciously.

"She is the prophecy. I plan on living in the future—and the only way to do that is to stick close to her."

"Makes sense to me," said Black Tom leaning on his club. "We could use the company, don't you agree, Juggy?"

"You're all crazy," scoffed Sabertooth shaking his head. "Every last one of you."

"Fuck off," growled Juggernaut. Sabertooth snorted and began to walk away.

Lady Deathstrike turned back to the pair in front of her. "Do we have a deal or not? You could use someone like me—especially when Doomsday comes along."

"Fine, but just so you know, it ain't sure whether or not Rogue's gonna live after Doomsday," pointed out Juggernaut. "For all you know she'll die."

"But at least we'll be alive after that. Besides, I have a feeling she won't go down that easily. Not with the powers she's packing inside of her."

Black Tom pursed his lips thoughtfully. "What do you know about her? See, I'm just tagging along with Juggy here, and he's only working for Rogue until his debt is up. But it would be nice to hear more about this…prophecy you're talking about."

"Are you sure you want to know?"

"Absolutely."

**The X-Mansion:**

Ororo jumped in surprise as the front door crashed open. Bobby rushed in with Logan right behind him. In Logan's arms was Rogue.

"Oh my god, what happened?" she exclaimed jogging over to the pair. She brushed aside a damp strand of hair from Rogue's face. Rogue looked up, her green eyes clouded over.

"Ah hafta tell ya somethin'," she mumbled. Her eyes closed again and Rogue seemed to drift back into a comfortless sleep.

"We gotta get her to the infirmary," said Logan. "Bobby, find the Professor and the doc—tell 'em we have an emergency!"

Bobby took off down the hallway as Ororo led Logan to the elevator. In the underground level the pair half ran, half walked into the infirmary where Hank was busy putting away some towels. The blue beast glanced up in surprise, but he leapt into action, motioning for Logan to place Rogue in one of the beds. Hank quickly set about checking her pulse and taking her temperature as Moira rushed into the room.

Moira placed a hand on Rogue's forehead, and then quickly took it off before opening her eyelids to peer at her eyes. "I was afraid of this," murmured Moira with a shake of her head.

"Afraid of what?" demanded Logan gruffly.

"First let me bring her fever down…and then I think it's time that we adults talked about Rogue. It's important."

About an hour later Moira, Logan, Ororo, Xavier, Gabrielle, Sean, and Hank were seated in Moira's lab staring at the remains of a slide show of Rogue's blood samples.

"What does it all mean?" asked Ororo breaking the silence.

Moira sighed. "I'm afraid now it means that Rogue's DNA is changing—her powers are evolving…and I can't say whether or not it will be for the better. Every time Rogue borrows another power, that x-gene imprint melds together with her own x-gene, changing it. Right now Rogue has gone almost two months without borrowing another power. As a result of this break the x-genes already inside of her are finally settling down to make a brand new x-gene."

"If her powers are just evolving we don't have anything to worry about, do we?" questioned Sean.

"Actually, I'm afraid we have a lot to fear. With each x-gene entering Rogue her mind becomes vulnerable. A part of the person she drains is inside of—eventually they subside into the recesses of her mind until she has another mental breakdown. Opening herself up to intense emotions releases the powers she has borrowed before—making her very dangerous to herself and others because she cannot handle the amount of power inside of her.

"I've been doing various tests today and from what I've gathered I believe that Rogue is in a very fragile position right now. The next time she borrows a power could have a permanent effect on her until she can't remember who she is—or it could kill her."

Logan ran a hand over his face. "So we don't let her touch anyone anymore, no big deal, right? As soon as she's not fragile she can return to normal, right?"

"Even if the next borrowing doesn't affect her, the one after that could, or even the one after that. What I'm saying is that Rogue is in a lot of danger. I think on some level she already knows this…and that worries me. Rogue is difficult to understand in general, but I believe she knows exactly how to use her powers and when to use them," said Moira softly. "Her mind must be able to let her know just how fragile she is in this weakened state, and if that is so then I think she's waiting for the right time to use her powers."

Xavier looked up thoughtfully. "You're talking about the prophecy," he stated.

"Yes. Rogue knows about the prophecy. I don't know how long she's known, but she does, and I think that will be when she uses her powers again."

"Is there any way you can stop her?" murmured Gabrielle edging her stool closer to Xavier.

"No," started Logan after seeing the look on Moira's face, "it'll be up to Rogue to make the next move. She's the one living with her powers—we can't make any decisions for her."

**Meanwhile:**

Rogue gazed up at the ceiling, studying the white paint carefully. When she focused her attention on spot in particular she could see a bird-shaped design amidst all the white, and if she didn't tear her gaze right after sighting the shape it would begin to glow a reddish color. Then Rogue would turn to the wall on her side and spot what appeared to be a giant man standing up out of a triangle. On the wall across from her Rogue would then see herself staring directly back at her.

No matter how hard she tried, Rogue couldn't rid the shapes from her mind. A bird, a giant, and herself—she knew the three were forever entwined together. But Rogue wasn't sure what the outcome would be after the three met up. One thing she did know was that _she_ would be the one to decide their fates.

Rogue closed her eyes and prayed for a dreamless sleep. She didn't want to think about the prophecies anymore. She didn't want to think about her powers either. It was all becoming much more than Rogue could handle. Whatever came next would change her life forever.

**At The Same Time:**

Sinister stepped forward, basking in the undivided attention given to him by the group of people circled up in the room. All eyes were glued on him with champagne glasses half raised to their lips. The Lord of Evil smirked triumphantly. These people would follow him to the ends of the earth from this point onwards. He was their only link to eternal glory.

Emma narrowed her eyes before speaking. "All right, Essex, we're here. What is it you wanted to show us? What makes you so damn sure the tides will turn in our favor?"

The door behind him opened up and in stepped a young woman with bright red hair and dark blue eyes. She was dressed in a red body suit, her lithe form crackling with unused power. Sinister's mouth twisted into a smile. "Ladies and gentlemen of the Hellfire Club, may I present to you our savior: Phoenix."

**A/N—Rogue's character was intentional throughout this entire chapter. You'll see why soon enough, if some of you haven't already guessed what's coming. The next chapter will be up later this week. **


	46. First Glance

**Disclaimer: Obviously this still doesn't belong to me.**

**45-First Glance**

Another cigarette fell to the ground, the light dying off as Rogue pulled out another cigarette and stuck it in her mouth, lighting it with the lighter she had found earlier. The ground at her feet was littered with cigarette butts, but Rogue paid them no mind. She was too busy pacing back and forth beneath the giant elm tree, her mind a frazzled playground of thoughts. Today had not gone well; it had not gone well at all. Rogue was eternally screwed in more ways than one.

Part of her had expected it. Part of her had known this was coming. Part of her had been eagerly waiting for it. But now that it was here Rogue was scared; scared for her friends, scared for her enemies, and scared for her self.

**Earlier That Day:**

Rogue stared down at the book in her hands, the words blurring together. She glanced up with a frustrated sigh at Tabitha who was humming to herself on the other side of the room. The girls had been cooped up inside all day due to the rain outside.

Glancing at her watch Rogue looked over at the door of the room she and Tabitha shared. As if on cue it swung open and Logan peeked inside. His face sagged in relief as he spied Rogue still sprawled out across her bed.

Tabitha glanced up from her headphones and grinned at Logan. "Are you setting us free finally?"

"Not a chance. I was just checkin' to see where everyone was at." With a sharp nod Logan glanced once more at Rogue before shutting the door on his way out. Rogue let out a loud groan and dropped her head down into her book.

"I'm starting to feel like prisoners," remarked Tabitha tossing her headphones onto the other side of her bed. The blonde twisted around to glance at Rogue. "Is there a reason the old man keeps checking on us every hour on the dot?"

"Everyone seems to think Ah'm gonna have another relapse," replied Rogue. Her voice was muffled as she didn't raise her head to look at her roommate while answering.

"Great. Do they have to include me in the suicide watch too?"

"You're more than welcome ta leave. Ah'm fairly sure Logan's sittin' outside the door so Ah don't take off."

"And go where?" demanded Tabitha sitting up. "It's like a regular ol' hurricane out there."

"No shit." Rogue sighed and brought her head off of her book. She tucked a few strands of hair behind her ears and then propped her chin in her hands. "Ah'm gonna kill mahself if Ah hafta endure anymore check-ups. Everyone's actin' like Ah've got a disease."

Tabitha snorted. "The mighty Rogue catching a disease? Are you kidding? Lordy, Rogue, you don't have anything to worry about. I'm fairly sure you could drain Logan's healing powers and cure yourself before it got too serious."

"Ah guess." Rogue lapsed into a bout of silence as Tabitha fell back onto her own bed. It had been over a month before Rogue realized the adults were watching her like a hawk. Everywhere she went someone was always there studying her as though she were going to explode or something. Rogue had tried hiding from them, but Logan quickly sniffed her out. Even worse was the fact that Rogue had been forbidden to leave the mansion grounds.

About a week ago Rogue had figured out that the adults knew about the prophecy, and she drummed up the excess attention to fear that she would go out and initiate the inevitable. That, or there was more to her blood samples than Moira would let on. The doctor tested her blood once a week, and then gave Rogue explicit instructions to not use her powers, no matter what.

Rogue had readily agreed, and then a week later she had developed the itch again. She had been doing her best to ignore it, but house arrest was starting to takes its toll on Rogue's mentality. She wanted out—she needed to be out. She could feel it.

Of course, Rogue didn't have a clue what "it" was. Whatever it was, it was out there waiting for her.

"You know," started Tabitha sitting up again, "there's always the chance that he wouldn't be able to pick up your scent in the rain."

A thump was heard outside their door. Rogue rolled her eyes. She had been right. Logan was sitting outside their doorway.

"Okay, I was wrong. We'd never get out of this place alive." Tabitha sighed and lay back down, muttering under her breath about the injustices of life. Rogue hid her smile as she finally turned her attention back to her book. For the last month Tabitha had been moping around the mansion. It was quite evident the blonde missed Lance—she hadn't pulled any pranks lately. If anyone was on the suicide watch it would be Tabs. The girl was head over heels in love with the enemy, and refused to admit it.

Rogue had barely flipped the page of her book when an alarm sounded throughout the mansion. Both girls scrambled onto their feet and out into the hallway. Mutants spilled through their doorways and down the staircase to the foyer to catch wind of what was going on. Without hesitation Rogue and Tabitha joined the flow downstairs in time to see Xavier rolling into the foyer.

The Professor raised his hands for silence pausing everyone in their tracks as they strained to hear what he had to say. "It seems the Brotherhood has initiated an attack downtown. We must take immediate action. Wolverine, you will lead Banshee, Iceman, Angel, Cannonball, Wolfsbane, Boom Boom, Sunspot, Mirage, and Havok. Storm, you will lead Cyclops, Beast, Legion, Bezerker, Nightcrawler, Shadow Cat, Magma, Husk, and Jubilee. Forge, I want you and Rogue to stay in the Blackbird to oversee the battle. Don't join in unless you are absolutely needed. Alison, Jamie, Theresa, Amanda, and Illyana will stay here with me. You five aren't quite ready for battle yet. Everyone else, suit up."

**Downtown:**

Screams echoed up and down the sidewalks as pedestrians fled town square. The Brotherhood of Mutants tormented them non-stop in their flight. After months of staying hidden they had finally been allowed out to do what they did best: chaos.

"We've got company," announced Mystique flatly.

Magneto glanced her way and smirked in triumph. "I knew Charles could not resist. Let's show his precious X-Men what we've got."

"No problem, boss man," said Toad as the rest of the Brotherhood lined up to greet the advancing SUV of X-Men. The SUV pulled to a stop and out came only half of the X-Men. Wolverine, Banshee, Iceman, Angel, Cannonball, Wolfsbane, Boom Boom, Sunspot, Mirage, and Havok stood their ground, eyeing their enemy cautiously, dressed in their black uniforms.

"This oughtta be fun," murmured Wolverine as his claws popped out.

"May I?" asked Banshee stepping forward. At Wolverine's nod the blonde man opened his mouth and let out a loud, ear piercing sound that made everyone cover their ears. Banshee shut his mouth, giving the mutants a brief reprieve just as the Blackbird flew into view.

"Looks like they brought the cavalry, mates!" called out Pyro with a wide grin on his face. "Let's give 'em a welcome party they won't forget!"

Like a well rehearsed battle cry from the days of old the Brotherhood of Mutants advanced against the X-Men that were already on the ground. From up in the air Rogue watched in silence. Behind her she could hear the second group of X-Men exiting out the hatch—jumping to the ground below to join the tides of battle.

"It's kind of exciting, isn't it?" asked Forge leaning over the controls to get a better look out the window.

"'Bout as excitin' as a Danger Room session," replied Rogue sulkily. She didn't get it—Rogue excelled in hand to hand combat, so why did she have to stay up here with Forge? In the air—the last place in the world that Rogue wanted to be. She still didn't trust the jet not to crash with her on it.

After about ten minutes of straight fighting, Rogue began to grow bored. It wasn't as though she was in the midst of excitement. With a sigh the southern belle studied the jet controls with mild interest. Maybe one of the buttons would produce gun power for her to utilize against the enemy. As Rogue began to pick out potential ammo holding buttons an alarm began to sound inside the jet.

"What's that?" she demanded turning to look at Forge.

Forge narrowed his eyes as he pointed at the scanner. "We've got incoming," he said. "That can't be right though."

"What cahn't be right?"

"It looks like incoming aircrafts."

"Crafts? As in more than one?" repeated Rogue flatly.

"As in a lot more than one. I count seven-eight-nine-ten! Jesus, man, we're gonna be under some serious gunfire pretty quick here," answered Forge running a hand through his hair.

Rogue turned her head to glance outside, her eyes searching the expansive sky. What she saw did not make her feel any better. "Uh, Forge, Ah don't think those are aircrafts comin' our way."

"Huh?"

"Look!" Rogue grabbed Forge by the arm and made him look to where she was pointing. In the sky were ten giant objects headed their way. Ten purple and red objects to be exact—objects that looked an awful lot like giant robots.

"That doesn't look good," murmured Forge playing around with a few buttons on the control panel. A small screen popped up with a skeletal image of the approaching images. Rogue knew better than to ask what the thing was—it would only encourage Forge to go into geek talk again.

"So what kind of crafts are headin' our way?" she asked curiously.

Forge grimaced. "The kind packing heavy fire power, and designed to attack mutants."

"Gee, no need ta sound so calm," muttered Rogue rubbing her forehead gingerly. Now she wasn't too keen on joining the fight below. Not with those giant robots jumping in. Rogue watched as the first robot entered the fray. Both the X-Men and Brotherhood were stopping to analyze the metal robots. Then one took fire at the mutants on the ground, sending them into the air. Rogue's eyes widened.

But not because of the explosion. No, she had seen something else on the edge of the town square that had caught her undivided attention. As the smoke in the air cleared Rogue squinted her eyes to focus on the opposite end of the square. Sure enough there was a cloaked figure standing stalk still. A shiver ran down Rogue's spine as realization struck her.

"Shit!" Rogue turned and ran towards the open hatch, grabbing a spare rope off one of the seats.

Forge watched in confusion as Rogue anchored one end of the rope around the bottom of a seat and tossed it out the open hatch. "Where the hell are you going?"

"Business calls!" tossed back Rogue before sliding down the rope. On the ground Rogue directed her attention to the other side of the square. The cloaked figure was still there. The brunette took off at a run, dodging a beam from one of the robots, and thoroughly ignoring any and all calls from her teammates. She had to see if it really was—

"Oh shit," murmured Rogue as a giant foot stepped into her path, halting her in her tracks. Rogue glanced up warily at the robot as it gazed down at her solemnly.

"Mutant targeted—fire!"

Rogue was rooted to her spot in a stupor as the robot locked its glowing eyes onto her. Just as the giant emitted a beam from its eyes, Rogue felt herself tackled to the ground, thereby missing a near death. Her rescuer quickly pulled her to her feet, gripping her arm as they ran. Rogue grimaced as she caught the face of her would-be hero.

"Y'sure ya ain't crazy, chère?" grumbled the Cajun as he and Rogue ran—not in the direction that Rogue wanted to go in.

"Ah'm fine," said Rogue struggling to loosen Gambit's grip on her arm. "Cahn ya let meh go now? There's somethin' Ah hafta check out!"

Gambit cursed under his breath in French and slowed to a stop. Without letting go of Rogue, the Cajun turned to face. "On one condition, chère—I go wit' you. There's no need fer ya ta go an' get y'self killed."

Rogue didn't even pause to argue like usual. She didn't care if Gambit wanted a million dollars at this point—she needed to get over to the cloaked figure to confirm her suspicions. Still in Gambit's grasp, Rogue tugged him towards the other end of the square. Gambit curse again, but finally let Rogue go and trudged along behind her. His eyes easily picked out the rest of his team and hers busy with the giant robots. No one seemed to be paying the least bit of attention to them. That thought wasn't a comforting one.

Off to one side Havok and Cyclops were standing their ground in front of a girl with green hair, sobbing on the ground beside a brown wig. Apparently she had been targeted by the giant robots, confirming her worst fears of being a mutant. Off to the other side of battle Iceman and Warren were struggling to dodge each and every blow sent their way from one of the robots. It looked as though they losing—until a flying streak bulldozed into the robot, knocking the giant to the ground. The streak turned out to be a teenage girl with blonde hair and blue eyes. At this point it seemed that both the Brotherhood and X-Men were battling alongside each other against their latest common enemy.

"This ain't right," murmured Rogue as she slowed to a stop. She barely noticed as Gambit pulled out a card, charged it, and tossed it at a robot passing them in chase of Mystique and Shadow Cat.

"Chère, I don't t'ink now be the time for you ta be thinkin'—we need ta get outta here," said Gambit trying to gain Rogue's attention.

"Ah don't get it, Swamp Rat—Ah saw her!" exclaimed Rogue in frustration. "Ah cahn't be goin' crazy yet, Ah cahn't."

"Now ain't da time, chère."

Rogue grimaced as Gambit grabbed her arm, intent on getting her out of harm's way. He could see Mystique watching him from a distance. He couldn't back out on his deal now. She had already blasted him for not intervening when the Omega Red freak appeared out of nowhere. Just as Gambit had Rogue positioned to run, a cloaked figure dropped down out of the sky in front of them.

"Looking for me, Rogue? I've been waiting for you," stated the female voice. Rogue took an involuntary step backwards, her eyes widening as the cloak fell off to reveal the one person Rogue had been dreading: Jean Grey.

"Jean," whispered Rogue with a mixture of relief and fear.

Rogue's words were quickly echoed by a strangled cry only twenty feet away. "Jean!" Cyclops quickly hurtled himself past the robots and towards Jean, whose eyes were still glued onto Rogue's.

"It is time, Rogue. Doomsday has arrived—and you will not stand in my way!" snarled the red head, her eyes darkening as fire surrounded her body.

"Jean—what's going on?" asked Cyclops as the red head swirled to face him, her eyes blazing with anger.

"I am the Phoenix—Jean Grey no longer exists." Phoenix raised a single hand, pointing a finger at Cyclops. Fire blazed onto her fingertips.

"But—"

"Stop!" cried Rogue stepping in front of Cyclops. "He's not the one ya want—Ah am!"

"You could have been powerful…but now you are nothing but a weakling. You're afraid of what you are—of what you can become. You are nothing!" snapped Phoenix as she rose into the air. "And for that you must die."

Rogue took a deep breath as she watched Phoenix carefully. "Jeanie, ya gotta remember who ya are—ya ain't evil! Ah know what's inside of you…Ah…Ah cahn help you."

Phoenix chuckled darkly. "I don't need your help. You are my enemy—you are destined to let loose my nemesis, and for that you will pay."

"Chère, now would be da time for ya ta say you never did anyt'in' wrong ta da evil bird," hissed Gambit.

Rogue ignored him. Instead she addressed Phoenix. "Alright then, Jeanie—kill meh."

"What?" exclaimed both Gambit and Cyclops incredulously.

"But if ya want ta kill meh you're gonna hafta kill these big guys too—'cause as soon as Ah step in their sight they'll blast meh. Then ya won't have the honor of killin' meh—ahn no one will follow ya ta the ends of the earth like ya want 'em too." While speaking Rogue had taken several steps backwards, edging closer to the giant robots.

Phoenix gave a dark growl as she flew into the air, gaining the attention of all ten robots. The fire around her glowed brighter and engulfed the robots, destroying them within seconds. Rogue dropped to the ground as Gambit shielded her from the flying debris. Beside them Cyclops used his optic blasts to keep the robot pieces from hitting them.

The rest of the mutants on the ground began to murmur in a mixture of awe and surprise. For the X-Men it was a bittersweet moment. One of their own had seemed to come back from the dead…only a lot different, and a lot more powerful.

"Thy doom awaits, Rogue. I've been waiting months for this, and I know you've been waiting as well. You couldn't possibly have missed all my calling cards." Phoenix gave a dry laugh as she dropped back down to the ground.

Cyclops shook his head. "I don't understand—what's she talking about, Rogue? You didn't know she was alive, did you?"

"Sugah, it ain't what ya think. Ah've had a feelin' for a while that she was alive—but only part of her. What you see here ain't Jeanie—this is the prophecy," said Rogue.

"Prophecy? Look, I don't give a damn about no prophecy—I want Jean back! How could you not tell us she was alive? How could you stand by and let us grieve for her? Is this just a game to you, Rogue? Is this all part of your master plan? You're really screwed up, you know that?"

Rogue bit down on her tongue to keep from snapping back at him. "You cahn hate meh all ya want, Scotty, but Ah'm your only hope of ever seein' Jeanie again."

"Then do something!"

"Ah would if Ah was sure Ah wouldn't get her ahn meh killed! You don't understand the extent of mah powers—not even meh!"

Cyclops roughly grabbed Rogue around the shoulders, shaking her with fury. "Dammit, Rogue, stop doubting yourself. You're a fuckin' god when it comes to your powers—save Jean!"

Rogue broke away, stumbling backwards into Gambit's arms. As the Cajun steadied her, Rogue deftly grabbed his bo-staff out of Gambit's trench coat, and launched herself at Phoenix who had been watching in amusement. The girl once known as Jean Grey was taken for surprise as Rogue used the bo-staff to lift her off the ground, and feet first into Phoenix, knocking the red head down.

Phoenix's anger propelled Rogue into the wall of a nearby building as a fiery force field erupted around the dark creature. Rogue groaned as she scrambled back to her feet. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Juggernaut, Black Tom, and Lady Deathstrike arriving at the scene, but Rogue paid them no heed. All her attention was focused on the Phoenix.

Gritting her teeth Rogue ran back towards the Phoenix, only to be lifted into the air and dropped to the ground on her back. Rogue arched her back in pain as she felt a couple of ribs crack from the force of the fall. Nevertheless she got back onto her feet, breathing raggedly and turned to face Phoenix. Around them was a fiery force field keeping everyone else out.

"You are pathetic," stated Phoenix. "Why not let go of your fears and inhibitions and become a worthy foe?"

"Ah ain't gonna use mah powers ta fight ya, only ta help ya, Jeanie. You cahn't expect ta win against meh. You're not in mah league," tossed back Rogue clutching her aching side.

"I am above you in every way!"

Rogue dropped to her knees, her mental barriers kicking in too late. Both hands cradled her forehead as Rogue struggled to keep her thoughts pure. Inside her mind the voices were swarming around again, each personality trying to take over. Slowly, Rogue got back onto her feet, fully intent on meeting Phoenix blow for blow. She could feel raw power inside of her once more. Balling her hands into fists Rogue took a deep breath, grimacing once as the pain in her side intensified.

"Say your prayers," muttered Phoenix with a snide look on her face. Rogue closed her eyes and reached inside herself to let go when a commotion on the other side of the force field caught her attention.

"Kill her and all our plans will be ruined!" snarled a male voice. Rogue opened her eyes and caught her breath as she saw a man with a black and grey face. Behind him were two women, one dressed all in white, and one dressed all in black; as well as a male dressed all in black. Rogue glanced back up at Phoenix who was reluctantly floating back down to the ground, letting the force field subside.

The X-Men stood together, watching apprehensively; the Brotherhood did the same; off to another side Rogue saw her own little team whispering amongst themselves.

"She is my enemy. She will destroy me if I don't kill her," hissed Phoenix angrily.

"We need her," insisted the sinister man. Rogue glanced over to both Juggernaut and Sabertooth, her mind clicking with realization. This was the man that wanted both her and Warren.

"I say we kill her, she doesn't look very useful to me," said the blonde woman.

The dark haired woman shook her head. "We must follow the plans accordingly, Emma. We need this girl—no matter how weak or powerful. She is part of the prophecy. What do you say, Sebastian?"

The man in black smirked. "Keep her alive for now. Phoenix can kill her later. Quite honestly I don't see what the fuss is about, this girl is no match for our Phoenix—no matter what powers she can borrow."

Phoenix narrowed her eyes at the trio and then turned back to Rogue. "This isn't over yet, Rogue. We will meet again."

"Ya cahn be sure of that, Phoenix. Ah'll make ya sorry ya ever took control of that body," replied Rogue icily. Phoenix nodded and then turned to walk away with the others. Rogue watched with bile rising in her throat. She was beginning to realize what she would have to do to set things right again…and it was going to take a lot of unrestrained anger to accomplish it.

Magneto chuckled as the Brotherhood began to drift away. "It seems you have made yourself a mortal enemy, Rogue. At least now I know you won't be interfering in my plans anytime soon."

Rogue snorted. "Your plans will be destroyed come Doomsday," she promised.

"That seems highly doubtful at this point, m'dear."

Rogue clenched her teeth together before turning to face the X-Men. She flinched under Cyclops' baleful gaze as he headed back to the jet with Havok and the girl with green hair right behind him. Rogue's eyes dropped to the ground. Her future looked very bleak.

Rather than return to the jet Rogue made her way over to Strom and Wolverine who were trying to sort out a jumbled conversation-slash-argument between Iceman, Boom Boom, and the flying blonde.

Iceman shook his head angrily just as Rogue arrived to catch his words. "Tabs, Carol swears she didn't do anything to provoke him. We all know how fragile David is—if he turned back into Lucas it means he lost control during battle. Carol is on our side—she saved some of us, remember?"

"No shit, Bob, but here's the thing—wonder freak over here isn't telling the truth. She talked to David right before she saved you, and whatever she said made the guy freak out and revert back to Lucas! So it's her fault that we have to explain to Professor X that his son is gone!" shot back Boom Boom.

The blonde girl spoke up with a trace of tears in her eyes. "I don't understand why you're being so mean. I had never seen the guy before in my life and out of nowhere he appears trying to kill me!"

Rogue frowned, allowing herself to be led away by Wolverine. Even she could tell that Carol was lying through her teeth, but Rogue didn't feel up to pointing it out or trying to decipher why.

"Are you okay, Stripes?" asked Wolverine gently.

"Ah guess. Ah just wanna go home," murmured Rogue with a hint of exhaustion in her voice. Her head was swimming again, and she could feel her knees buckling. Rogue slumped downwards, and was easily caught by Wolverine. Both Iceman and Boom Boom stopped arguing to rush over to Rogue.

"We'll straighten things up at the mansion," said Wolverine scooping Rogue into his arms. "We don't have time to hang around here anymore, let's go before the military arrives."

**At The Same Time:**

Gambit studied the mutant in front of him, contemplating what he had just done. With a deep breath, the Cajun extended his hand and shook that of the mutant known as Sinister. He then turned and walked away, leaving Sinister behind.

As he walked, Gambit took out a cigarette, searching his pockets for his lighter. He cursed in French when he couldn't find it. Instead he tossed the cigarette to the ground and kept on walking.

Mystique owed him for his baby-sitting duties. Watching Rogue was becoming too dangerous. The only way to protect the southern belle was to help the very man who wanted her for the prophecy.

Gambit chuckled as he thought back on the day's events. Rogue had proven to be stubborn in her hopeless fight against Phoenix. He had to hand it to the girl; she knew how to fight a losing battle with grace.

"Merde!" exclaimed Gambit stopping in his tracks. "She stole my lighter!"

**Later:**

"Jesus fuckin' Christ!" exclaimed Graydon throwing his paper weight off his desk and into the wall. "Are you sure?"

"Yes sir…she was there at the attacks…working with a pair of mutants. They just inducted Dr. Nathaniel Essex into the Hellfire Club—but he is a mutant, and that leads us to believe that she is one too," answered the military man meekly. Graydon grumbled and motioned for the man to leave.

As soon as the door shut Graydon slumped down into the seat behind his desk. It was just his luck to fall into the temptations of a mutant. He was surrounded by mutants. Everywhere he turned he found another freak infiltrating his way of life. But no more.

Graydon sat up and pulled out a file from his desk. Inside were papers from one Bolivar Trask. Graydon had heard about the military testing the sentinels today—only to have them destroyed by a single mutant. But no more.

Determinedly, Graydon whipped out a paper and signed the first two sheets in the folder. Dr. Bolivar Trask and Dr. Kavita Rao would have his okay to go ahead with their projects under the guise of S.H.I.E.L.D.—and as soon as Graydon became Senator they would have the okay of the state of New York.

Mutants would not run his life.

**Back to Rogue:**

Rogue cursed under her breath and tossed her cigarette pack to the ground. Things were spiraling out of control—and Rogue desperately wanted control in her life. Running a hand through her hair, Rogue craved for another cigarette. Not to help her think, but to relieve her fears. Rogue already knew what she had to do—she only had to find a way to implement her plans now.

"Fuck," muttered Rogue slumping back against the tree. She made a face as her sides flared up with pain.

"You alright?" questioned Bobby as he quietly joined her. Rogue turned away from him as his gaze fell to the cigarette butts on the ground.

"Go away, Bobby, Ah don't have time for this."

"Rogue, I'm here for you."

"Ah said go away."

"You can't keep pushing me away, dammit! We're friends—we're—god dammit, Rogue, why do you have to be so difficult?" demanded Bobby.

"Ah never asked ya ta try ahn understand meh, alright? Ah didn't ask ya ta like meh! Ah am who Ah am, Bobby, ahn if ya cahn't respect that then get lost!" screamed Rogue, a tear sliding down her cheek. "There's nothin' ya cahn do for meh now—the game's already set. Everythin' is goin' just the way it's supposed ta."

"Stop fighting alone—because you aren't alone!"

"Ah am! Ah am." Rogue broke down into sobs, not fighting when Bobby wrapped his arms around her.

"Rogue I'm here for you," he whispered.

"Ah hafta do this ohn mah own though. It's mah fight. Ah'm sorry, Bobby." Rogue gently pushed away from Bobby and wiped the tears from her cheek as she turned to enter the house. She couldn't let anyone else be hurt by her actions. This was her fight from now on—and nobody else's.

**A/N—Another chapter, we're getting closer to Apocalypse.**


	47. Dilemmas

**Disclaimer: Still not mine.**

**46-Dilemmas**

Rogue awoke to a rustling sound the next morning. Prying an eye open, the southerner glanced over at Tabitha. The blonde was stuffing all of her belongings into a battered suitcase.

Sleepily, Rogue sat up and pulled the covers around her shoulders. Despite it being spring, Rogue still got chilly in the mornings. "What are ya up to?"

Tabitha looked over at Rogue with a frown as she sat on top of her suitcase, snapping it shut. "Packing."

"Ah cahn see that. Ah'm more concerned with the why portion of it."

"I'm leaving."

"To?" inquired Rogue narrowing her eyes slightly. It was too early to be having a heavy conversation, even one like this.

"I can't stay here any longer, Rogue. You've seen how I've been lately. Mopey—and mopey isn't me. I've been thinking long and hard—well, I've been thinking since yesterday really…but, the X-Men aren't for me. Hell, I don't think they're for you either, but it's not like you have any alternatives at the moment—especially considering you've managed to gain more enemies than I ever though possible," babbled Tabitha as she lugged the suitcase onto the floor with a loud thump.

Rogue flinched at the sound. "So where are ya off too? Or do Ah even need ta ask?"

"I saw him yesterday, Rogue…and I just knew that I couldn't lift a finger against him. Man, I never thought I'd live to see the day where I couldn't function without having one guy in my life. I love him…and he loves me. He told me that right after I saved him from becoming a patty cake by one of those robot freaks. I have to be with him, Rogue. You understand, don't you?"

"Yeah, Ah guess…but just up ahn leavin' in the middle of a war? D'ya think the Brotherhood will let ya in?"

Tabitha shrugged. "There's one way to find out. Lance is supposed to pick me up outside the gates in twenty minutes. Besides, the Brotherhood will be ten times better than stayin' here—especially with that Danvers chick parading around like she's some kind of goddess. So what if she can fly and lift a car over a head—she's a fuckin' liar. She did something to David to provoke him…and you and I both know it. But how do the X-Men treat her? With open arms. Man, that witch has your boyfriend wrapped around her little finger. What good is the Professor when he won't use his mind to learn the truth?"

"Ah know." Rogue lapsed into silence, ignoring the fact that her covers had fallen off her shoulders. With a sigh the brunette got out of bed and rummaged around for some clothes. "They're not gonna make meh share a room with Carol, are they? She's too damn perky—Ah'd rather room with Kitty than her."

Chuckling, Tabitha shook her head. "Nah, they already gave blondie a room with the other chick—the one with green hair. What was her name again?"

"Lorna?"

"Yeah, her. Lorna and Carol are rooming together, and Amanda is rooming with muscle man's little sister. God, he must hate knowing she's with us and not him."

"You're talkin' 'bout Piotr ahn Illyana, right?" asked Rogue.

"Mm-hmm."

"Ah'm startin' ta think there are just too many mutants ta keep track of these days," sighed Rogue as she changed into her clothes.

"Aw, but you gotta love it. Geek central—it's the place to be."

"If Mags wasn't such a grump—ahn if Wanda didn't have a price ohn mah head Ah'd join ya. This place is startin' ta feel like a prison."

"Yeah, I wish you could come too. It'd be fun—the two of us painting Metal Head's new base. Huh, I should pay attention on my way there," said Tabitha pursing her lips thoughtfully. "I might want to leave the place sometimes."

Rogue snorted. "Not without Lance ya won't."

"Good point." Tabitha grinned as she turned to face Rogue. "I guess this is good-bye, huh?"

"Yeah." Rogue smiled and gave Tabitha a hug. "Take care of yourself."

"Me? Look who's talking! Don't do anything stupid, you got that?" tossed back Tabitha good naturedly. Rogue nodded as the girls broke apart. Tabitha gave another lopsided grin as she picked up the suitcase and headed towards the doorway. Rogue glanced around the half empty room the moment the door was shut. Alone again.

Rogue set about making her bed and glanced around the room once more before opening the door and stepping out into the hallway. She blinked in surprise at Amara and Roberto standing a few feet away, clearly having an argument loud enough for the whole mansion to hear.

"My father is ordering me too, Amara—I can't just say no! It's not that simple!" exclaimed Roberto in exasperation.

"But they're the enemy! You saw them yesterday, Roberto! The Hellfire Club is no good! You can't join them!" shot back Amara with a hint of tears in her eyes.

"I don't have a choice—my father is coming to take me there this afternoon. As of now I am no longer an X-Man…I love you, Amara, but there are some things that are out of my control."

Amara's lip wavered as a couple of tears slid down her cheek. "If you're going, then I'm going with you. I won't be left behind and abandoned, you understand?"

"It's not safe—"

"I don't give a damn how safe it is or isn't, Roberto DaCosta—I'm going with you!" With that Amara turned on her heel and entered her bedroom, slamming the door shut with a bang. Roberto threw his hands up into the air before turning to head towards his own room. Another bang was heard as he too slammed his door shut.

"Ah don't wanna know," murmured Rogue to herself as she headed for the stairs. What she really wanted was out of the mansion. As she walked down the staircase Rogue passed Amanda and Illyana whispering on their way up. The three girls readily ignored each other. Just because Rogue had helped rescue Illyana didn't make them instant friends…and Rogue wasn't sure what to think about Amanda at this point. Things were awkward between Kurt, Kitty, and Amanda at the moment.

Rogue grinned. Kurt. If he really wanted a good relationship with her then she knew just the way to get on her good side. With that Rogue set out towards the backyard. Kurt and Kitty spent a lot of their free time by the pool now that the weather was warming up.

"I still can't believe both Jean and Mastermind are still alive," said Kitty, shuddering at the last name.

Kurt nodded in agreement, looking up as Rogue joined them. "Hey, Scott's been looking for you."

Rogue made a face. "Ah don't wanna talk ta him if he's still grumpin' 'round 'bout yesterday. It ain't mah fault his girlfriend came back a total bitch."

Kitty rolled her eyes. "He's pissed 'cause you didn't say anything about Jean still being alive."

"Then he should be mad at the Professor too. Ah think that old man knew as much as Ah did 'bout Jean never bein' dead," grumbled Rogue.

"It's nice to see you out of your room—instead of moping away. You've been hiding out in your room for the past month," pointed out Kurt with a small smile.

"Don't get too excited, Blue. Logan's usually camped outside mah doorway these days. Ahn now that Tabs is gone he'll probably sleep outside mah room at night in case Ah try ta bail out too."

"Tabs is gone?" questioned Kitty in genuine surprise.

Rogue nodded. "She ahn Lance cahn't bear ta be away from each other at this point. That ahn Tabby really doesn't like Carol."

Kurt shrugged helplessly. "I'm surprised Tabitha didn't leave earlier. She never struck me as the X-Men type. I'm not sure about Carol yet. I haven't seen her around much."

Rogue's face darkened. "She's usually with Bobby. It seems she's attached ta the hip with him or somethin'. If Ah was feelin' up ta it Ah'd kick her ass, but there's somethin' else Ah want ta do, ahn Ah need your help, Blue."

"What?" asked Kurt suspiciously.

"Ah'm goin' crazy stayin' here. Ah just need ta get off the grounds for a couple of hours—Ah swear Ah'll come right back, but Ah need someone ta keep Logan busy so he doesn't come lookin' for meh."

Kitty frowned. "But it's too dangerous for you out there, Rogue. Like everyone and their brother is after you. That's why Logan and the Professor have been keeping an extra close eye on you. You're safer here."

Rogue rolled her eyes. "Safe ahn crazy aren't exactly the best combinations, Kitty. Ah need out. Just give meh two hours—that's all Ah want. Please, Kurt? You're mah brother; you'll help meh out, won't ya?"

Kurt groaned. "Man, am I always a sucker for girls?" Then he sighed. "Alright, Kitty and I will keep Logan busy for two hours—but no more. If he finds out you're gone after that I can't help you, okay?"

"It's a deal!" exclaimed Rogue eagerly.

"Please tell me you're not planning on getting yourself killed while you're out. If Mr. Logan ever finds out that _we _kept him from saving your life, I'll kill you again," murmured Kitty narrowing her eyes at Rogue.

"Ah'm just gonna take a walk 'round town. What's the worst thing that cahn happen?"

**An Hour Later:**

Rogue cursed under her breath as she ducked beneath a table. The outdoor food court was empty except for Wanda and Piotr ganging up on her. Of all the people to run into it just had to be the two who were the angriest with her. Wanda was still pissed that Rogue had double crossed her and Piotr wanted his sister back.

Gritting her teeth Rogue got back onto her feet and took off at a run straight towards the fuming girl. Rogue would have to deal with the Herculean-like kid later. Wanda was the bigger threat right now.

With a graceful twist, Rogue kicked Wanda in the knee cap, forcing the other girl down onto her hands and knees. Rogue felt herself rise into the air as Wanda used her hex powers to send the southern teen flying into a table, knocking it down with a loud crash. Rogue groaned aloud as she rolled onto her stomach, pushing herself onto her knees. She could feel her ribs aching once more. She rocked back onto her heels, trying to figure a way out of the mess she had gotten herself into. The only way out would be the alley way she had landed beside, but Rogue knew for a fact that it only led to a dead end.

As Rogue caught her breath she glanced up to see Piotr helping Wanda onto her feet again. Just as Rogue had made up her mind to chance one more attack she felt something slip into her hands. Looking down she caught sight of a glowing card. Her eyes widened and she quickly tossed the card in the direction or Piotr and Wanda.

The card exploded, sending both Wanda and Piotr flying backwards. Rogue chuckled and slipped into the alley. Sure enough Remy was there leaning against the wall.

"How many times is dat now, chérie? I'm startin' ta feel like a knight in shinin' armor," stated Remy smoothly.

"Get over yourself, Swamp Rat, ahn help meh outta here. One dinky little explosion ain't gonna stop Wanda ahn Hercules over there."

Remy shrugged and motioned for Rogue to follow him down the alley until they reached the dead end. Without speaking Remy boosted Rogue up and over the wall before nimbly pulling himself after her. In the distance behind them the pair could hear Wanda tearing the food court apart in search of Rogue.

Walking at a faster pace Rogue followed Remy down the alley, casting a glance over her shoulder every now and again. She could sense they were being followed. Just as they reached the mouth of the alley Rogue heard a crash of breaking brick, meaning Wanda had figured out where Rogue was headed.

"Merde." Remy grabbed Rogue by the hand and the two quickly darted across the street and down another alley way. "You sure are a handful, chère. You ever t'ink 'bout joinin' de army—I bet they'd be glad ta have ya on board."

"You're a funny man, Cajun," muttered Rogue sourly.

"Just tryin' ta pass de time, chérie."

Rogue grimaced as they came unto yet another dead end. Remy jumped up the wall, ready to reach down and grab Rogue when Wanda flew into view on the other side of the dead end. Remy scowled and hopped back down onto Rogue's side. "Not dat way," he advised. They turned to go back the way they came when Piotr came into view.

"Ah take it ya don't have a back up plan up your sleeve, do ya, Swamp Rat?" hissed Rogue between clenched teeth.

"I'm workin' on it. I might hafta blow down this buildin' jus' ta escape."

"Bad idea," growled Wanda dropping down in front of them, beside Piotr. "You're supposed to be on our side, Gambit. Wait until the others hear you're protecting the Rogue."

Remy shrugged. "She's a lot prettier ta look at den ol' Bucket Head, petite. I don' t'ink your father really know what's best for de team. Everyone keep sayin' she part of de prophecy…doncha t'ink we should keep her alive?"

"Not a chance," replied Wanda icily.

"Next time why don't ya keep your mouth shut, eh Swamp Rat? Ah think ya just pissed her off even more," muttered Rogue as Remy stood between her and Wanda.

"It's hard gettin' used ta bein' a hero, chère; have some patience, will ya?"

Rogue narrowed her eyes, fully intent on punching the cocky Cajun in the nose when out of nowhere a figure dropped down from the sky, tackling Piotr to the ground. Piotr quickly transformed into his metal self as he and Lady Deathstrike scrambled to their feet. Dropping to the ground beside her was Black Tom and Juggernaut.

Wanda glared at the intruders, her eyes flashing in pure hatred. "What the hell is this? Save the Rogue day? Fuck off—all of you!"

"Such language from such a lovely face," sighed Black Tom dramatically. He gave Wanda a wink as he raised his club into the air and blasted the dark haired girl with it. In complete surprise Wanda flew directly into Piotr, knocking him back to the ground.

Rather than retaliate with her hex powers, Wanda stood up and wiped the dirt off her clothes. "Fine, you have some manpower, Rogue, but it doesn't mean I'm done with you—not yet. Apparently everyone and their mother want to see you complete this stupid prophecy…fine, do it. But the second prophecy season is over you and me have things to take care of, got it?"

"Loud ahn clear, Wanda. Enjoy life with your father—Ah'm sure you'll turn into a mindless drone just like he wants!" shouted Rogue as Wanda and Piotr retreated. Rogue breathed in relief, her body sagging a little as she leaned back against the wall of the alley. She was starting to feel weak again.

Lady Deathstrike eyed the brunette carefully. "You are tired," she stated without question.

"Ah bit," admitted Rogue, her eyes flickering upwards. Pain flashed in her eyes and she brought a hand to her side. She was going to be sore for weeks, she knew it. "Ah should probably head back ta the mansion before Logan knows Ah'm gone."

"You can't go alone," murmured Black Tom in genuine concern. It didn't look as though Rogue could last much longer on her feet.

"Ah'm _not _a weakling," grumbled Rogue as she pushed herself away from the wall. The second she was standing straight, her head began to swim, causing Rogue to lose focus and bring a hand up to her forehead. She could feel another headache developing. Deep inside her she knew it would be worse than the last one.

Remy rolled his eyes as he crouched down in front of Rogue. Before she could protest, he hefted her onto his back, securing his hands beneath her legs. He stood up, and Rogue reluctantly wrapped her arms around his neck.

Juggernaut shook his head, his forehead creasing beneath his helmet. Rogue was weaker than even she was willing to let on. "We were looking for you to inform you of…an interesting development," he started slowly. "Yuriko overheard something you need to know about."

Rogue glanced up sleepily; her head pounding away like there was no tomorrow. "What?" she asked

Lady Deathstrike made a face. "I followed the one called Sabertooth and heard him talk with the one known as Mystique. They have a son together. A human son—a hater of all things mutant."

"Mystique ahn Whiskers? Gawd, mah mother really has bad taste in men," moaned Rogue. "So who's the kid?"

"Graydon Creed."

Rogue's head shot up, her eyes widening. "Holy shit, why didn't Ah connect the names earlier? He's no kid either—Graydon's a full fledged whacko!"

"Nice ta see it runs in de family, non?" teased Remy shifting Rogue around on his back.

Rogue ignored him. "You're sure?" she demanded of Lady Deathstrike. The Asian nodded. Rogue sighed. She was starting to have more family members than she knew what to do with. "Great. That really makes mah day. Alright, Swamp Rat, take meh home."

Remy opened his mouth to protest at the name calling when he felt her head slump down onto the back of his shoulder. He glanced at Black Tom inquiringly.

"She's asleep," murmured the smaller man.

Remy grumbled under his breath. "O' course I had ta watch de fille who likes ta sleep after pullin' off a big battle in less than thirty minutes of arrivin' downtown. It's fate, non? I get stuck wit' her an' everyone else gets ta find someone a lil' more accomodatin'…damn business propositions. You tell Mystique next time ya see her dat I want a new mission. De Rogue ain't exactly an easy fille ta follow. Always runnin' inta trouble." Remy continued his muttered grievances as he walked down the alleyway with Rogue on his back.

Lady Deathstrike shook her head and turned back to her fellow companions. "She is growing closer to Doomsday. I can feel it coming—the hairs on the back of my neck always stand on end with her around."

"The kid's right—she does attract a lot of trouble," muttered Juggernaut pulling off his helmet.

Black Tom snorted. "I thought you told us the more trouble she causes the closer we get to completing Sinister's plans."

"Yeah…but do we have to keep poppin' in to rescue her?"

"She can't die before the prophecy takes place," pointed out Lady Deathstrike seriously. "She's too important to die."

"Indeed she is," spoke up another voice from the mouth of the alley. The three mutants turned apprehensively, settling back down upon seeing Irene walking towards them. "But she is dying as we speak. The longer Rogue fights who she is, the harder the toll becomes. In order for her to live to complete the prophecy Rogue must embrace her powers full heartedly. At the moment, however, she is fighting it."

"Can't we just make the damn girl use her powers so she won't kill herself?" questioned Juggernaut.

Irene shook her head. "Rogue is the only one who can save herself now."

**At The Same Time:**

Emma sipped her wine peacefully, barely comprehending the last of Selene's words. Finally she interrupted her comrade. "I don't see what the big deal is. The X-Men are not a threat to us," she stated coolly. "You worry too much, Selene. Sebastian, tell your lover she worries too much."

Sebastian Shaw made a face. "I'm not so sure about that this time around, Emma. Selene has a valid point, no matter who we have infiltrating the X-Men; they will continue to be a tangible threat to our interests."

"You two are hopeless," muttered Emma tossing her wine glass to the floor, watching the glass shards scatter across the floor. Then she leaned back in the sofa cushions. "Two of our precious little Hellions are inside the mansion as we speak—they are turning the X-Men against each other. As for the X-Men themselves, we now have four of their own. Legion, Sunspot, Magma, and Phoenix. Their ranks are falling right before their very eyes. Charles Xavier won't know what hit him."

"You forget that they still have the Rogue," pointed out Selene, her eyes darkening at the slurred words of Emma. Apparently the blonde was a bit tipsy from all the wine.

"Oh fuck the Rogue—what threat could she possibly be to us? Once Apocalypse is free he is going to kill her. We all know the prophecy—the one who sets him free is the only one who can lock him again. She's as good as dead. Stop worrying about her—there's no way in hell she can survive Doomsday."

Selene made a face. "I just don't think we are thinking through all of our options. If the X-Men and Brotherhood were to band together—"

Emma gave a high pitched laugh. "God, Selene, you really know how to be a downer, you know that? What possible reason could Charles Xavier and Eric Lensherr ever find to work together? I don't see it happening."

Sebastian shook his head. "Emma, you're drunk."

"I am not!" Emma's voice flared dangerously as she sat up to glare at the Black King and Queen sitting in front of her. "You two are ready to back out on the deal we made with Sinister. Nothing, and I repeat, _nothing_, is going to stop us from becoming the supreme hierarchy in the world! Dammit, pull yourselves together. We have the Black Bishop coming, as well as our White Warrior Princess, and our Sage. King Bedlam is training our Hellions as we speak. Tom Cassidy has agreed to join as a probationary member. Should he prove useful then we can fully initiate him into the Club."

Selene spoke in a cold tone. "Brian Braddock is only infatuated with you. In time he will tire of your games and turn on us. He isn't Captain Britain for nothing. Viper and Sage are only so useful when it comes to working with Sinister—neither of them particularly wants to associate themselves with Apocalypse. As for Bedlam, he is training a bunch of dimwitted kids that you deem appropriate for our precious 'Hellion' as you call them. I hope you have not forgotten that we have a long ways to go before the Hellions can match up against the X-Men or the Brotherhood and hope to win. Tom Cassidy is only interested in the prophecy. He doesn't give a damn about the Club."

Emma sniffed disdainfully as she stood up, only swaying a tiny bit. "Fuck you. We are on the winning side. Nothing can stop us—not even that damn prophecy."

**A While Later:**

Remy was still cursing under his breath in French by the time he reached the mansion gates. Standing outside of them was a slender, pale faced man.

"Who are you?" asked Remy suspiciously.

"I am Caliban."

"Cali…ban," murmured Rogue opening her eyes sleepily. Her entire body felt like rubber and she felt as though her head was going to burst. "What's the news?"

"Do not trust the ones who go by Miss Marvel and Polaris. They work for the Hellfire Club."

"Gotcha." Rogue yawned as she snuggled back against Remy's back, ready to return to sleep.

"I don' t'ink she understood," said Remy shifting Rogue yet again.

Caliban eyed Rogue carefully, his eyes not missing the flushed cheeks. "She is sick. She is dying."

"Dyin'?" repeated Remy. "She can't die—Mystique will kill me!"

"She is dying inside. Her powers are aching to be free."

"Then let 'em out, homme! Don' let the fille kill herself?"

Caliban shook his head, taking a step backwards. "I cannot interfere with fate. Only Rogue can save herself."

"You ain't no help, Caliban. If de fille dies, then so do I. She ain't gonna die on my watch. Rogue, wake up. You're home, chérie." Remy gently shook Rogue as he tried to return her feet to the ground. Rogue mumbled incoherently, not even noticing as Caliban steadied her on her feet and Remy turned around to grab her shoulders. This time she awoke, her eyes blazing with anger as Remy shook her.

"Get your filthy hands off meh, Swamp Rat!" she ordered pushing Remy away.

"Petite, you don' know how good it is ta hear ya say dat." Remy gently turned Rogue around to face the gates. "You're home, now why don' ya be a good fille and your ass in dere so I don' get beaten by your wolf, huh?"

Rogue glared at Remy and allowed Caliban to assist her through the gates. Behind her Rogue could hear Remy disappearing down the street, but she was too busy trying to walk with the help of Caliban to yell at the Cajun.

"Rogue!" cried out Kurt in relief. His face seemed to relax upon seeing her. "Thank God you got back before Kitty and Logan did."

"Where'd they go?" questioned Rogue as she slid down onto the front step of the porch.

"Driving."

"Forget Ah asked."

"I feel the same way. Kitty is very scary on the road. She's an aggressive driver."

"Kurt, she almost killed the Professor the last time she drove, remember? That was when he declared it a mission ta teach her how ta drive ahn offered it ta the bravest mutant old enough ta train her. If Ah recall correctly, everyone took extra Danger Room lessons instead," remarked Rogue yawning.

Kurt eyed Rogue studiously as she rubbed her eyes. "You look tired."

"It was a long day."

"Good—that means you won't be leaving for another walk, right?"

Caliban rolled his eyes as he watched the siblings bicker. Rogue made a face. "Ah dunno, it was a lot more fun than stickin' 'round here. 'Sides, Ah found somethin' out that ya need ta know 'bout."

"Like what?" asked Kurt.

"Like Mystique ahn Sabertooth had a son together."

"What?" Kurt's eyes widened at the news. "When?"

"Long before either of us was born, that's for sure," muttered Rogue. "It's Graydon Creed. That freako Senator wannabe—that's our other brother."

"No way! He can't be! Are you sure?"

Rogue shrugged. "That's what Ah heard…ahn yes, before ya ask, mah source is reliable. How 'bout you, Caliban, do you think it's true."

"Yes. I remember the day Graydon was born. He was human—not even I could sense a power inside of him. Mystique tried to raise him, but it became too difficult, so she gave him up for adoption. She used to visit him every once in a while, and even told him that both his parents were mutants. He was not accepting of that fact. He resents Mystique and Sabertooth for abandoning him…and he is embarrassed by their blatant acts of terrorism against humans," answered Caliban truthfully.

Rogue and Kurt were silent as they each soaked in this latest piece of information about their shared mother. With a sigh Rogue slowly got to her feet and entered the mansion. She was about to climb up the stairs when she heard Bobby call her name. Rogue yawned and waited for the blonde to say good-bye to Carol, who was frowning at Rogue from the living room.

"Why do you have to go?" whined Carol trying her best to convince Bobby to stay with her.

"I need to apologize to Rogue. She and I had a little fight yesterday."

"I don't see why you're even pursuing her. You can't get close to Rogue like you can with me."

Bobby took a deep breath. That was a heavy statement no matter which way he took it. His heart was torn. Rogue needed him, he had worked so hard to get things going with her; he couldn't abandon her now. But, Carol was available—and she wasn't pushing him away like Rogue always seemed to do. "She needs me," said Bobby lamely. "She doesn't know it yet, but she needs me. I can't let her down."

Carol pouted and watched as Bobby joined Rogue. Her blue eyes narrowed as Bobby wrapped an arm around Rogue's waist, helping her up the stairs. Carol wasn't about to give up that easily on Bobby. A boy could only chase the Untouchable for so long before he began missing out on the other parts of relationships.

Upstairs Rogue had to pause to catch her breath. Her entire body was ready to collapse. She nodded to Bobby who inquired if she was ready to keep walking. As soon as she reached the doorway, she found an extra bout of energy.

"Thanks for helpin' meh," said Rogue.

Bobby grinned back at her. "Anytime. Look, Rogue, I wanted to apologize for yelling at you yesterday. I'm just…frustrated that you keep pushing me away every time I get close to you. I thought you were beginning to trust me."

"Ah do, Bobby, but…" Rogue sighed. "It's complicated. Ah don't have a good track record when it comes to guys. Ah just don' want ta see ya get hurt bein' with meh…ahn Ah'm afraid Ah'll get hurt bein' with you. Ahn things are so hectic in mah life right now. Ah'm weak, Ah'm always tired…ahn the future is grim. Ah have a fate that nobody else cahn be a part of. Ah just…Ah feel like bein' ohn mah own is the only way ta protect everyone else here, ya know?"

"I do…but you can't always be afraid, Rogue. Love will find you no matter who you are, where you are, or what you do. I just want you to give me a chance, okay? I'm here for you. I swear it."

Rogue gave Bobby a small smile. Taking a deep breath she gave a small nod. "Ah'll think 'bout it."

"You promise?" asked Bobby becoming serious.

"Ah promise." Rogue leaned over and gave him a quick kiss on the lips before disappearing into her room. As soon as the door was shut behind her, Rogue stumbled over to the bed, the dizzy spell taking control. She curled up into a fetal position, clutching her pillow against her as tightly as she could.

Beads of sweat poured down Rogue's face as her lips began to chatter. Her skin was covered in goose bumps, and she could feel the veins throbbing in her head. Rogue squeezed her eyes shut, willing the sickness to subside.

Twenty minutes later Rogue felt her body return to normal. The sweat dried up, her body became a comfortable temperature—all that remained was the headache.

"Doomsday," whispered Rogue to herself as the sky outside darkened, thrusting her room into blackness. "Doomsday is here."

**A/N—Another chapter…another quick one. Don't get used to these fast updates, there's a reason behind it that you'll find out about soon enough (and no, it's not because the story is almost over…summer is coming—enough said). Anyway, thank you to all the great reviewers…I'm glad you guys like where I'm headed with this. Anyway, until the next one, enjoy.**


	48. Invincible

**Disclaimer: Not mine.**

**47-Invincible**

Two weeks. It had been two weeks since Rogue had developed her headache. Two miserable weeks. Rogue wasn't sure how the others were managing her. She was snappish, tired, and inclined to get angry over little things, like spilt milk. Rogue wasn't even sure how she had managed to live with herself. Every time Moira asked her what was wrong Rogue told her to back off. She didn't feel up to being coddled anymore than she already was.

Kurt followed her around whenever she ventured outside; Kitty kept roping her into cooking with her; Bobby was constantly trying to spend more time with her, which she didn't mind, except when Carol shot her a dirty look; Logan watched her like a hawk, not even bothering to let her in the Danger Room anymore now that she tired after walking from her bed to her bathroom these days; and Ororo tried to get her to help out in the greenhouse. All in all, Rogue felt smothered, and it was getting to her.

So now here she was, seven o'clock at night, sitting in her window seat staring out at the night sky. Rogue wasn't particularly tired, but she was too tired to move her body to the bed, let alone out the door and down into the living room where everyone else was gathered watching some movie.

With a resigned sigh Rogue finally made herself get onto her feet and moved over to her dresser in search of her pajamas. As she opened a dresser drawer a soft sound caught her ears. Pausing, Rogue listened carefully. Once more she heard the sound. It was as though someone were outside on the balcony.

Taking a deep breath, Rogue felt something inside her stir. A smile formed on her face…danger always seemed to give her a second wind. As softly as she could, Rogue made her way across the room and to the doors leading out onto the balcony. Second instinct told her the person was ready for her. With a slow smile Rogue studied the silhouette on the other side of the curtains. Whoever it was, was small and unafraid.

Relaxing, Rogue placed her hands on the doorknobs, and took one last breath before flinging the doors open. A petite figure tackled Rogue to the ground, but Rogue easily used her feet to toss her attacker off of her. Rogue scrambled to her feet and studied her opponent who was doing the same thing.

Rogue's attacker was a petite girl with long brown hair and dark brown eyes. She had an unforgiving look in her eyes, and was dressed all in black. There was something familiar about the girl that Rogue couldn't quite determine.

Until two claws popped out of the girl's knuckles, with two more popping out of the girl's feet.

Rogue ground her teeth together, assessing her situation. Sure she had her strength back, but not all of it. There was no way in hell Rogue could defeat the girl in front of her without using her powers. She had a dark feeling that the only one who would be able to fight this girl would be Logan, who was downstairs listening to a big screen T.V. turned up as loud as it could go.

"Alright, kid, let's see whatcha got," murmured Rogue. Somehow she had to get the girl close enough for Logan to hear her.

"Nighty night," said the girl. With a wicked smile on her face she charged at Rogue, her clawed fists coming dangerously close to slashing Rogue had the southerner not ducked and rolled. Jumping onto her feet Rogue ran into the hallway, skidding on the rug as the girl took chase. Rogue reached the banister only to be pulled backwards and slammed into the wall. Rogue ducked another blow from the girl, cursing the younger recruits for wanting to listen to the T.V. so loud. She could hear the damn movie from here.

Rogue tried to punch the girl in the gut, but the girl quickly did a back flip, making Rogue swing her fist in empty air. Narrowing her eyes Rogue advanced forward a step, meeting the girl's powerful punch with her arm. Pain shot up Rogue's forearm, making her curse Logan for keeping her out of the Danger Room. She was seriously out of practice. Rogue made a face as the girl grabbed Rogue's arm and twisted it behind her back slamming her forward into the banister.

The itch started again. Rogue could feel her powers—along with the ones she had borrowed—swarming inside of her, wanting to be set free. Rogue bit down on her tongue as beads of sweat formed on her forehead. She couldn't let go—not now, not yet.

Before Rogue could reign in her tortured mind she felt herself go flying over the banister and to the ground below. She hit the floor hard, crying out in pain as the group in the living room noticed her.

"Rogue?" asked Bobby quizzically. "What happened?"

Inside, Rogue felt part of her snap. She rolled over and pushed herself back to her feet, breathing raggedly. "That's it…now Ah'm pissed. Ah'm gonna kill her!"

"Kill who?" demanded Logan as he and Ororo came out of the living room followed closely by Moira. "What the hell is going on?"

Rogue didn't reply. Her eyes were cast upwards, searching for the girl. A shadow flickered momentarily and then the girl was jumping down from the second floor. She landed in front of Rogue, surprising the rest of the group.

"Jesus Christ," muttered Logan as he saw the amount of claws pop out of the girl's hands and feet. "Who the hell is she?"

"Dead!" cried out Rogue hurtling herself at the small girl. The girl dodged her first punch and roundhouse kick, but Rogue also maneuvered out of reach of the girl's claws. Logan's own claws popped out of his knuckles, distracting the girl, but that's all Rogue needed. Rogue grabbed the girl's arm and flipped her over, nodding in satisfaction as the girl hit the ground hard.

The girl jumped to her feet, glancing between the furious Rogue and Logan. "I am X-23 of Hydra. I have been looking for you, the Wolverine. It's your fault I am this way—and I will have my revenge!"

Rogue snorted. "That's rich…it's not like we don't have a lot of revenge seekin' freaks walkin' 'round town anyway."

"This isn't a game, Rogue," snarled Logan. He turned back to X-23. "If you are who you say you are then why come all this way to kill me, huh? I bet you could do a lot of damage to the assholes who made you!"

"_You _made me! I was made from you! They call you my father…well I want nothing to do with you or Hydra!" shouted X-23 darkly.

Rogue was taken back. Father? Logan was this girl's father? That wasn't possible, was it? Just as suddenly as her anger started, Rogue began to feel it subside. She wobbled backwards, barely noticing as Bobby caught her in his arms. Around her Rogue could barely sense the fight going on between Logan and X-23.

Taking several deep breaths Rogue steadied herself in time to see Logan pin X-23 to the ground, paralyzing the girl. Moira quickly intervened with a shot ready in her hand, from where Rogue had no idea. She watched with interest as X-23's body went limp, yet the girl was still awake.

Moira glanced down at Rogue with a pained expression on her face. "Alright, bring both X-23 and Rogue down to the infirmary. I want answers from X-23, and I want to be sure nothing is broken in Rogue."

**The Infirmary:**

"For the last time, Ah'm fine," said Rogue as Moira took yet another blood test.

"Are you certain that there's nothing else going on inside of you that I should know about? Rogue, I need you to be honest with me," replied Moira crossing her arms.

Rogue rolled her eyes. "If there was anythin' wrong with meh Ah'd tell ya, doc. But there ain't. Ah'm in perfect health." To prove her point Rogue got out of the bed and onto her feet. The truth was she felt like crap—her mind felt disconnected, and empty like. But Rogue didn't want to talk about it. More than anything it was probably nothing serious.

"You had better be telling me the truth, young lady, or I'm going to have you confined to this bed for the next three months if I find out otherwise, you understand?"

Rogue nodded and gave Moira a bright smile as she headed for the doorway. She paused as Logan rushed in, but the gruff X-Man was headed straight towards the doctor who was checking on a sleeping X-23. Rogue's face fell as Logan started asking about his "daughter". With a deep frown Rogue slipped out of the infirmary, but kept close to eavesdrop.

"Do you know anything about her?" asked Logan.

"She sometimes goes by the name Laura Kinney. She's been involved in Hydra since she was born…but other than that I really don't know much. She's been told that she's your daughter, and frankly, every test I've run confirms it. At the same time, however, she could just as well be your sister. She's almost an exact clone of you, Logan. Her entire skeleton is not fused of adamantium…she says she left before they could conduct anymore tests on her."

"Does she still want to kill me?"

"Possibly. She's being a surly teen at the moment—she's only sixteen. She's angry, but I've convinced her that we'd help her track down the ones who did this to her."

Logan let out a breath of air. "So she's really my kid?"

"It would be more plausible for her to be your daughter considering her age, yes," answered Moira slowly.

"I can't be a father. I'm no good with kids…teens…girls. I don't know the first thing about raising kids. I…I don't need the responsibility. I don't like being responsible for no one by myself, you know?" Logan sighed as he ran a hand over his face wearily, trying to form his next words carefully. By the time he spoke however, Rogue was long gone.

"I have my hands full with Rogue. She needs me…I…she needs me."

Moira nodded. "Logan, have you talked to Rogue recently?"

"No, why?"

"You need to talk to her. Find her and tell her I said enough is enough. There's something she needs to tell you…and I can't be the one to tell you what it is. Only Rogue can do that."

Logan eyed Moira carefully, sensing the importance of her words. "What about her…Laura?"

Moira frowned as she turned back to the sleeping girl. "She needs a lot of therapy, but I think given some time she will be just another teenage girl. She hasn't had a lot of…social skills, but I think it's safe to say we can work on those."

"Why'd she attack Rogue?"

"The wrong place at the wrong time. Laura was breaking in to find you…she simply came across Rogue instead. Now, go find Rogue and talk to her. I mean it."

"Okay." Logan nodded sharply and took off out of the infirmary. Moira watched him go with a sad shake of her head before glancing back down at Laura whose eyes were now open. Moira didn't seem the least bit surprised.

"This Rogue is his daughter," stated Laura simply. "I could smell it."

"She is."

"Does that make her my…sister?"

"It's complicated."

Laura snorted. "You people are all complicated. This is why I wanted to kill my father. I don't like attachments."

Moira raised an eyebrow precariously. "Well, as long as you're under my roof I will be keeping you indisposed until you learn your manners."

**Meanwhile:**

Rogue paced back and forth in the elevator as it made its way up to the ground floor. Logan didn't her. He didn't even know she was his daughter, but he had made it pretty clear he didn't want any kids. Rogue wasn't sure what to do about this. She was hurt, angry, and confused.

All her life she had wanted a happy little family. Once upon a time she had had Jack and Lena. She had wanted siblings, and one day Lena discovered she was pregnant. Then Rogue had become a freak of nature. Along the way she discovered Mystique, her birth mother and a terrorist. Rogue had been betrayed by her. Then she had discovered a younger brother, Kurt. He had been the reason Mystique wanted nothing to do with her for so long. Then Rogue learned the truth about her father after months of pining away at just knowing his name. Logan was her birth father…and he didn't even know it. Rogue hadn't even gotten a chance to talk to Logan before discovering that she had another brother, an older one, Graydon Creed—an evil human. Now Rogue had a sister…of sorts.

From being so alone for so long, Rogue was starting to despise the family she had been born into. She didn't know why she had wanted to find any of them in the first place. All they brought was heartache and pain…and betrayal.

With tears in her eyes Rogue made her way out of the elevator the moment it opened up into the foyer. She headed towards the backyard. She knew Bobby would be out there…all the mutants were after the big fight between Logan and Laura. The Professor had suggested some night tag or something of the sorts to entertain themselves.

Rogue pushed open the back door and stepped onto the back porch, her eyes searching Bobby out. On the far ends of the yard she spotted him…with Carol. Kissing Carol.

Rogue swallowed a lump in her throat, her tears frozen on her cheeks. Time seemed to freeze, the shouts and laughter of her fellow housemates faded into the background as Rogue stared at Bobby and Carol. Her mouth opened slightly, a scream working its way up her throat.

In her mind a memory of Lance and Kitty kissing floated to the surface. Betrayed again. Betrayed for the enemy. Betrayed…betrayed…betrayed…betrayed…

Rogue felt a stirring inside her mind. The headache was gone. Her mind felt free of all thoughts…of all emotions…of everything. Rogue felt as though she no longer had a heart.

She had been betrayed too many times before. Abandoned at birth; disowned by her adopted parents; turned over to death by her birth mother; cheated on by a boyfriend; short changed by her boss; hated by her brother; feared by her peers; her friends had become her enemies; her father didn't want her; and now the one person who kept claiming he was there for her…wasn't.

Lies. They had all been lies. Rogue had only ever been lied to her entire life. That last thought made Rogue snap.

Liar. Carol was a liar. In the recesses of her mind she could hear Caliban talking about Carol working for the enemy. The Hellions. The Hellfire Club. Sinister. Phoenix. It was a never ending circle to Rogue.

Rogue hardened her eyes and headed straight towards Carol. No one made a fool of her—least of all a conniving little bitch like this Carol Danvers girl. Rogue was going to teach her a lesson.

Bobby broke away from Carol in a panic as he saw Rogue approaching out of the corner of his eye. He was so screwed. Carol frowned at him and turned to see what had caught his attention. A sly smile made its way onto her face as she saw Rogue. The southern belle was pissed.

"Rogue," started Bobby hurriedly, "I can explain."

Rogue didn't even acknowledge Bobby as she thrust her fist into Carol's face. The blonde stumbled backwards in complete surprise. Carol brought a hand to her lip, fingering the cut tenderly, removing her hair from her mouth.

"You little—"

"Don't you little meh," seethed Rogue. "Ah'm gonna kick your ass all the way ta tomorrow."

Carol made a face and launched her own fist in Rogue's direction. Rogue easily dodged it, hitting Carol in the back of the neck. The blonde swirled around in anger, her hand shooting out to grasp Rogue's throat. Rogue choked with lack of air, her gloved hands trying to unwrap Carol's grip, but the blonde seemed made of steel. Rogue couldn't match her strength.

"Carol, let her go!" cried out Bobby, but Carol pushed him to the ground. Her eyes focused back on Rogue. Both girls could feel Rogue's powers kicking in, but Carol only tightened her grip on Rogue's throat. Rogue growled low in her throat, letting go of Carol's arm. Instead she pulled off her gloves and placed them around the blonde girl's throat, cutting off Carol's air supply.

"Stop it!" cried out Bobby, his hands icing over. Behind him he could sense the other X-Men running his way to see what the commotion was about.

Rogue gasped for air, seeing black dots in front of her eyes. She was going to lose this battle. She knew it. Feeling the darkness edging in Rogue finally let her barriers down.

Her powers flooded out like the speed of light. Gold etchings made their way up and down the body of Carol and into Rogue. Carol's eyes widened at the magnitude of Rogue's powers, struggling to keep her hand around Rogue's throat, intent on killing the brunette even if it meant killing herself in the process. That had been her mission. Infiltrate the X-Men and kill the one called Rogue.

But Carol was no match for Rogue.

Rogue could feel the powers flowing inside of her. She could see into Carol's mind. She could hear her innermost thoughts. She could feel the hatred the other girl felt for her. Anger built up inside of Rogue, eating away the anger inside of Carol. Her grip around the blonde tightened even as Carol's slackened. The girl had passed out. The two girls floated into the air with Rogue still draining Carol. On the ground Scott readied his visor and at a nod from Ororo blasted an optic blast that sent both girls hurling to the ground.

Logan was running across the yard with Moira hot on his heels. Sam followed, with the Professor at his side, out of breath. He had been the one sent after the adults.

"What happened here?" demanded Logan kneeling beside Rogue as Moira knelt beside Carol.

The doctor took Carol's pulse and glanced at Rogue with fear in her eyes. "Get them down to the infirmary immediately!" she ordered. "Dear god, I knew something like this would happen," she murmured to herself as she watched Logan lift an unconscious Rogue into his arms. She nodded at Hank and the blue beast hefted Carol into his.

"Please don't let it be too late," prayed Moira as she led the two men back into the mansion.

**Hours Later:**

Carol's eyes flickered open, squinting in pain. She felt as though she had been hit by a train. Her entire body ached, and her mind fuzzy. In the distance she could hear voices talking. Blinking, Carol noticed a curtain drawn around her bed. The voices came from the other side. Carol didn't move a muscle as she strained to hear what was being said.

"She's dangerous. I can't believe we didn't catch the signs earlier," said Hank. "A girl like Carol should not have been brought here."

Ororo sighed. "I have to wonder if perhaps Tabitha was telling the truth about David. I can't believe Carol fooled us the way she did. To what end?"

"To kill Rogue," answered the Professor with a tired voice. "Rogue has gained more enemies than Logan it seems. She is very important to everyone around her…I believe Emma Frost is not as taken in by the prophecy as her counterparts. She seems to believe that Phoenix can accomplish all that Rogue is destined to do."

Logan snarled. "What about Rogue, is she gonna be okay, doc?"

Moira let out a short breath. "I don't know. It's too early to see what ramifications will be wrought on Rogue. The good news is that she is still alive…I will have to wait until she wakes up to find out what has happened. All I gather so far is that Rogue used a high dosage of her absorption powers."

Gabrielle spoke up then. "What about Carol? How is she?"

"Steady…alive…but in a coma. I don't know when, or if, she'll ever wake up."

Sean groaned. "Great, just great. We have a real mess on our hands now. Protecting Rogue has proven hard enough—but the girl snapped today. We all know she did. How can she be trusted?"

Carol turned her head slowly to the side, her eyes adjusting to the darkness as she studied the still figure beside her. How could she be in a coma when she could hear them talking? Her face paled as she caught sight of the person in the next bed over. It was her.

Slowly and painfully Carol raised a hand in front of her face, her eyes roving up and down the tan skin. That wasn't hers. She tugged on a strand of hair, bringing it in eyesight. Her breath caught as she saw brown and white tresses instead of her blonde. She wasn't Carol…was she Rogue? Carol shook her head. She couldn't be. She had felt Rogue going limp in her grasp…the other girl had been as weak as Emma had said she was. She wasn't Rogue. She was Carol.

The Professor's voice from the other side of the curtain made her frown. "I've already called Carol's parents in California. They'll be here in the morning so we can decide what to do with her. Even though she is the enemy, it is ultimately up to her parents what we do with her."

Carol shook her head, quietly pushing herself into a sitting position. No one was going to do anything with her. A sharp pain cut through her mind, causing Carol to grit her teeth from crying out loud. As the pain slowly subsided a single thought floated into her mind. Carol Danvers was no more. Then it was gone. Shaking her head Carol placed her bare feet on the ground, and tip toed over to the bed beside her.

She studied the girl carefully and made a face. It wasn't possible. Rogue was dead. This had to be some dream. Carol had killed Rogue. Carol worked for Emma Frost. Carol was from California. Carol was not dead.

Her parents. They would know her. Carol tiptoed back to her bed and sat down. She had to get out of here. She had to get back to her parents. Carol had to get home. Thinking things through carefully, Carol stood up and walked towards the curtain. With hesitant hands she pulled it open, surprising the adults on the other side.

"Rogue?" asked Logan gently. Carol frowned. She wasn't Rogue. Rogue was dead. The X-Men were stupider than Carol had originally thought. Carol eyed Logan carefully, her eyes studying the room. She ignored the adults, but her eyes lit up upon seeing the doorway. That was the way out. Then her ears caught the sound of Moira's voice whispering to another person behind her.

Carol snorted. They weren't going to keep her here—no one could keep Miss Marvel down. Not even the X-Men. Carol swirled to appraise the figure behind her. With another snort Carol floated into the air, her infirmary gown ruffling around her knees. Without a word Carol bolted through the doorway, banging it open loudly. Behind her she could hear the adults scrambling after her, but Carol knew the way out. It was all coming back to her now. She crashed through the elevator doors, bringing her fingers to her ears as Sean opened his mouth to scream his mutant scream. She broke though the top of the elevator and up the shaft way, bolting through the ground level doors. She paused upon seeing Scott, Warren, Bobby, Kurt and Kitty huddled around the staircase.

Kurt's eyes brightened in surprise. "Rogue! Hey, since when could you fly?"

"And break though metal?" added Kitty looking at the broken elevator doors.

"Rogue is dead," stated Carol coldly. Without another word she flew over to the doorway and opened it, placing her feet onto the front porch. She could sense the puzzled glances behind her, but Carol didn't have time. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath of the night air.

With a smile on her face, Carol walked to the edge of the porch before floating into the sky. She glanced back at the mansion one last time before bolting through the sky as fast as she could. Carol was going home.

**California:**

Carol landed on the front porch of a blue picturesque house. She padded over to the front door and tried the knob. It was locked. With a frown, Carol rang the doorbell. Her parents never locked her out of the house. Then again, it was rather late.

From inside the house Carol could hear two pairs of feet shuffling over to the doorway. The porch light sprang on, making Carol blink to adjust to the sudden glow. She tilted her head to one side as the front door opened to reveal her parents.

Mr. and Mrs. Danvers looked at Carol without recognizing her. "Can we help you?" asked Mr. Danvers suspiciously.

Carol rolled her eyes. "It's me, daddy, Carol." She watched in amusement as her parents exchanged a glance before Mrs. Danvers opened her arms and wrapped them around Carol.

"Of course it's you, Carol. Professor Xavier was kind enough to call us and inform us that you would be coming soon. We didn't expect you quite so early," said Mrs. Danvers shooting her husband a look as she led Carol into the house. "You must be freezing wearing just a thin gown like that. Why don't you go upstairs and take a nice hot shower, and put on some warm clothes while I make you something to eat. How does that sound?"

"Wonderful," replied Carol with a wide grin on her face. "You two have no idea how great it is to be back home finally."

Mr. Danvers nodded and patted Carol on the head. Carol beamed at them and quickly disappeared up the stairs. As soon as she was out of earshot, Mr. Danvers said, "Should I call the Professor, or you?"

"You, I'm really going to get her something to eat. The poor dear…she's so confused. How could our daughter do something like this to another person? I thought we had taught her never to use her powers against anyone else—human or mutant."

"It's alright, we'll get through this," murmured Mr. Danvers hugging his wife close.

Upstairs Carol had a towel wrapped around her body as she waited for the water in her shower to heat up. As soon as she spied steam she quickly tore off her towel and hopped into the shower. Hot water rained down on her skin, relaxing her muscles. Carol sighed in contentment as she stood beneath the shower head, letting the water soak into her skin.

Another flash of pain cut through her head, forcing Carol to press her hands against the wall to steady herself. This time, however, the pain was accompanied by a memory.

She was only ten, and it was hot outside. Her skin was soaked with sweat and her parents were lounging on the front porch, fanning themselves with the Sunday paper. She thought she was going to die because it was so hot—until Cody appeared out of nowhere, drenching her with a water gun. Seconds later she was on her feet, taking the garden hose from her dad and spraying Cody with water. Cody's parents arrived and joined her parents on the porch. Her dad set up the sprinkler and for the rest of the day she and Cody played in the sprinkler.

Carol blinked, remembering where she was. She didn't know anyone named Cody…did she? A frown formed on her face, her forehead crinkling in thought. She stepped out of the shower, wrapping her towel around her, leaving the shower running. Despite all the steam in the bathroom, Carol easily made her way to the mirror hanging above the sink. She placed a single hand on it and wiped away the steam to see her face.

A lightly tan face with emerald green eyes and wet brown hair with white stripes in the front greeted her.

"I can't be me if I look like you," she said to the mirror. Steam fogged up the mirror again, but Carol didn't see it. "You're not dead. I am. But who am I?"

Carol turned her back to the mirror and went to turn off the shower. She watched the shower head drip before finally drying herself off. She returned to her bedroom and rummaged around the drawers for clothes. Finding a pair of blue jeans and a white tee shirt she pulled them on before looking around for some socks and shoes. Carol sat on the edge of her bed, puzzled.

"I'm not Carol…I'm…Ah'm…" Her mind drifted back to her memory. Laughter and squeals echoed in her mind. Cody. "Ah'm Marie."

Relief flooded through Marie's body. She knew who she was…this wasn't home. This was someone else's home. Taking a deep breath Marie walked over to the window and pulled it open. She crawled out onto the window sill before leaping into the sky. From the air she glanced back at the house and shook her head before flying into the clouds.

Marie was going home.

Back inside the house Mrs. Danvers made her way up to Carol's bedroom, peeking in. Her face fell at the sight of the open window. "Honey, she's gone!"

**Caldecott, Mississippi:**

Marie walked down the street, her eyes taking in everything she saw. Not much had changed since the last time she had been here. The Everett's were still trying to plant their garden; the Tripp's were still renovating their house; and the front lawn of the Hardy's was still littered with toys.

Marie couldn't help the smile that developed on her face. She had missed this. Caldecott was so plain, so small, but so perfect, and so simple. Marie missed simple. She missed the south. But most of all she missed her family.

Her feet stopped of their own accord as her house came into view. Outside, in the small garden, sat Lena. Marie felt her breath catch in her throat. Lena hadn't changed much either. Her brown hair was pulled back and tucked beneath a wide straw hat. Sitting in the front yard with her was a small boy with wisps of brown curls atop his head. A boy. Lena had had a boy. Marie had a brother.

Taking a very deep breath, Marie straightened her shoulders and headed in the direction of the house. The street was half empty as usual. A few familiar faces gazed at her solemnly as she passed them by. Inside, Marie could feel her heart skip a beat.

_They know_, whispered her mind. _They know what you've done._

Marie gritted her teeth. She hadn't done anything. She was innocent. She was just Marie. She only wanted to return home where she belonged.

Lena glanced up as she heard footsteps stop on the sidewalk in front of her house. She did a double take upon seeing Marie. "Oh Lawd," she murmured, dropping the spade in her hand. Lena scrambled to her feet and took a tentative forward towards the girl in front of her. "Marie, is that you?"

Tears sprang up in Marie's eyes as she nodded, whispering hoarsely, "Mama."

"Oh Lawd!" Lena ran forward, crushing Marie close in her arms, tears streaming down her face. "Oh Lawd, Ah didn't think we'd ever see ya again. Jack! Jack, get out here! It's Marie! Marie's come home!" cried out the older woman in between sobs.

From the front door Jack came running out of the house and down the porch steps. Marie could feel him wrapping his arms around both her and Lena. Marie began to sob as the reality hit her. She was home. She was finally home.

**Three Hours Later:**

Marie tickled J.J.'s tummy, grinning at him as he broke into giggles. He was the sweetest little boy she had ever seen. A pang tore itself in her stomach. Marie wanted this one day. She wanted kids…a family…security. But she never would, because she was a mutant.

She glanced down at her hands that were now covered in long brown gloves that Lena had found for her. The past few hours had been catching Marie up on the events since she had drained Cody. At first Marie had been in denial, but after a while the memories came back to her—everything had come back to her. She wasn't Marie any longer…she was Rogue.

With a sigh Rogue sat back in the sofa cushions watching as J.J., or Jack Jr., toddled over to Jack. "Ah wish things were different," murmured Rogue. "Ah used ta wanna get away from Caldecott, ahn now all Ah want is ta stay here forever."

Lena smiled a sad smile as she reached over and squeezed Rogue's gloved hand. "We wish the same thing, Marie. We've missed ya somethin' awful the past few months."

Jack nodded in agreement. "We never meant ta drive ya away, Marie…we were jus' tryin' ta buy some time. We only agreed ta lockin' ya up for one night, ahn then we were gonna get ya out and move—all of us together. Ah never thought you'd overhear ahn run away. We're real sorry, Marie. We love you—we always have, from the very moment we found ya ohn our front porch all those years ago."

"Ah think Ah've always known that…but Ah was so scared ahn hurt that…Ah'm a mutant. Ah think Ah just feel better thinkin' that no one loves meh ahn that everyone wants ta use meh for some grander plan or give up ohn meh." Rogue shook her head wearily. "Things have been so jumbled inside mah head lately…Ah cahn't even remember who Ah am anymore."

"You're Marie," answered Lena firmly. "You always have been ahn ya always will be. Nothing cahn ever change who you are…not even some powers."

Rogue smiled a tiny smile. "Thank-you." She lapsed into silence and watched as Lena and Jack exchanged a look. "What?"

Jack cleared his throat uncomfortably. "There are a couple of things we gotta tell ya, Marie."

Lena swallowed a lump in her throat before speaking. "We shoulda told ya this years ago…but Ah always kept puttin' it off. Ah guess Ah jus' wanted ya ta always think of meh as your mother." Taking a deep breath, Lena continued. "Marie, after we found ya ohn our doorstep, your birth mother contacted us. Raven…well she came ta visit ya once a month. You were so young…ya never knew who she was. Eventually she stopped comin' ahn only called once every few weeks ta check ohn ya. It was a year ago that she started callin' nightly. She said she had a feelin' somethin' bad was gonna happen. She sounded so scared ohn that phone every time we answered. She called the night ya ran away. We had failed her…she had trusted your life in our hands. She loved ya so much, Marie. It hurt her ta come over ahn see ya callin' meh your mama…she's always loved ya. She's…she has her own problems, yes, but you…she wanted so hard to protect you…and then she got caught up with that lover of hers, ahn she kinda lost her way. Ah think she was afraid 'cause she had failed ya too. She wanted a good life for ya, Marie…not the life of a mutant."

Rogue shook her head. "You mean ta tell meh that Mystique…Raven…she's been a part of mah life all along?"

"Yeah," answered Jack with a sigh. "The woman was crazy 'bout ya. She always knew when ya had caught a cold or had gotten hurt. She'd call right away ahn ask 'bout ya. Ah thought she was paranoid."

Lena chuckled. "She's a mother. Every mother knows when there's something wrong with their child."

"Ah had no idea," murmured Rogue. "Why didn't she tell meh?"

"She's not perfect…she has a lot of sins ta make up for, but Ah think she wanted ya ta have good memories of your family—of us, not her." Lena scooted closer to Rogue, wrapping an arm around the younger girl's shoulder. "She did the best she could, Marie. She did the best she knew how considerin' her circumstances. She's just as human as the rest of us."

Rogue nodded with tears rolling down her cheeks. She was finally beginning to see Mystique in a whole new light. Wiping away her tears, Rogue turned to Jack. "What else didja wanna tell meh?"

Jack cleared his throat, sitting on the edge of his seat, shifting a dozing J.J. into his other arm. "It's 'bout Cody, Marie."

"What 'bout him, is he alright?"

"He's…he's dyin', Marie."

"What?" Rogue felt as though the world around her was crumbling. "How?"

Jack winced. "Ah don't want ya ta take this the wrong way…but Cody ain't been the same since ya…kissed him. His body's breakin' down. The doctors have been sayin' he only has six weeks left—but that was four months ago. He keeps askin' 'bout ya, Marie. Ah don't think he wants ta die without sayin' good-bye to ya."

"Oh, gawd." Rogue slumped in her seat, allowing Lena to comfort her. "Oh, gawd. What have Ah done?"

"Shush, it's not your fault, Marie. It's the will of Gawd," murmured Lena.

"He cahn't die," whispered Rogue, still stricken with shock. "He just cahn't."

Jack sighed. "You should go ahn see him, Marie. His parents would be grateful if ya did. It pains 'em ta see Cody sufferin' so much."

"Ah…alright," agreed Rogue with a nod.

**Twenty Minutes Later:**

Rogue shifted nervously as she followed Jack and Lena into Cody's house. It looked just as she remembered it. Quaint and cozy. Rogue could remember many an afternoon spent playing cards in the living room with Cody…she shook her head, wrapping her arms around her body. She didn't want to relive the past.

Jack led his wife, son, and Rogue up the stairs and down the hall. Standing outside the doorway were Cody's parents and the local doctor.

Cody's mother was weeping. Her eyes widened at the sight of Marie. "Oh thank gawd," she sobbed. "Please, Marie, help him let go. Ah cahn't see him suffer no more! Please tell him it's okay ta…"

Cody's father nodded solemnly, his face gaunt with added stress. "He's been waitin' ta say good-bye."

Rogue took a deep breath and turned to the closed door. Her hand shook as she reached down to the doorknob and pushed the door open. The room was bathed in the soft light of dusk. Rogue closed the door behind her and made her way over to the bed. Cody was fast asleep. She pulled a chair over to the bed and took a seat, studying his face.

Cody's face was thinner than she remembered. His hair had lost its shine, and now hung limply on his head. She could see his bones in his arms, and there were heavy bags under her eyes.

Rogue swallowed a lump in her throat as Cody's eyes opened up. The once bright blue were lacking in shine…they were dull and faded now. Rogue bit her lip and reached to take his fragile hand in her own gloved ones. "Hey," she said softly.

"Marie?" he coughed out. Rogue winced as his body wracked with coughs. The spell subsided and he leaned down into his pillows weakly. "Gawd, Marie, Ah didn't think Ah'd ever see ya 'gain."

"Ya cahn't get rid of meh that easy." Rogue lapsed into silence, her eyes searching his. "Cody, Ah'm so sorry. Ah never meant for this ta happen to ya."

"It ain't your fault, Marie. Ah don't blame ya…ya cahn't control who you are. Ah've missed ya."

"Ah've missed ya too, Cody." Rogue let out a small sob, burying her head in Cody's lap. "Ah cahn't say good-bye! You're mah best friend!"

"Ahn you're mahne." Cody chuckled dryly, a small cough escaping from his chest. "Ah used ta think you ahn Ah would travel the world together…get married…have kids. That's what woulda happened if ya hadn't become…you…but it didn't happen. Fate has somethin' else in store for us."

Rogue shook her head, sobbing. "Ah want _this_, Ah want _us_, Cody. Ah don't wanna be a mutant—Ah want mah old life back. Ah want you."

Cody placed his other hand on Rogue's hair. "Ya gotta move ohn, Marie. Ya gotta do some good in this world. There's a war goin' ohn…but Ah don't think mutants are evil. A lot of us don't…ahn you gotta make the world see that. Make them see you're good."

Bringing her tearstained face upwards, Rogue glanced at Cody. "Ah don't know if Ah cahn, Cody. Ah've done so much wrong in mah life…Ah don't think Ah cahn ever do anythin' good."

"Ah know you cahn, Marie. Ah believe in you."

And for the first time in her life Rogue believed in herself too.

**Two Days Later:**

Rogue's face was stoic as she watched the coffin be lowered into the ground. Around her she could sense the mourners drifting away, back towards Cody's house to offer their condolences to his parents. She looked up as she felt a hand on her shoulder.

Jack stared at her with concern etched into his eyes. A little ways off Rogue spied Lena and J.J. waiting. Clearing his throat, Jack said, "We love ya, Marie. Whatever you decide, we'll always love ya."

Rogue nodded and turned back to look at the fresh grave. "Ah hafta go. Ah have somethin' Ah've gotta do." She glanced back at Jack with a sad smile. "Ah love you ahn mama so much…Ah'll never forget ya. Take care of J.J."

Jack nodded in understanding. "Take care of yourself, Marie." He squeezed her shoulder and turned to join his wife and son. Rogue watched him wrap an arm around Lena's shoulder, leading her away from the cemetery.

With a heavy heart Rogue turned one last time to Cody's grave. She couldn't cry for him anymore. Closing her eyes, Rogue said one last prayer before flying into the air.

**Bayville:**

Deep in her heart, Rogue knew where to find her. She always had. As she walked down the hallway, however, she began to have second thoughts. What reason would she have to be at Irene's apartment? But Rogue pushed her fears aside as she knocked on the apartment door. She couldn't turn back now.

The door opened and Rogue found herself staring into the eyes of one Raven Darkholme. The woman's figure shifted back into her blue form, her eyes widening at the sight of her daughter. "Rogue?"

Rogue felt her heart burst, hearing the worry and pain in Mystique's voice. Tears welled up in her eyes as she hurled herself into Mystique's arms. "Mama," she sobbed.

It was almost midnight by the time Rogue had caught Mystique up to speed on the latest turn of events. Rogue had told Mystique about events with Carol and Cody, while Mystique told Rogue about Destiny working with Juggernaut, Black Tom, and Lady Deathstrike, and the fact that Gambit was working with Sinister to protect Rogue.

The shape shifter stroked her daughter's hair as she watched Rogue sleep on the couch. A content smile formed on Mystique's lips. Rogue no longer hated her…they had finally come to an understanding with each other. Mystique was grateful. She would never let anything come between her and her daughter ever again.

Mystique closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the bottom of the couch. Within minutes she was fast asleep. As soon as Rogue heard the steady breathing of her mother, her eyes shot open. She didn't make a sound as she slipped off the couch, taking her blanket and covering Mystique with it.

Rogue watched her mother sleep for a few minutes before heading towards the window of the apartment. She slid it open and flew outside, and then turned back to gently close the window once more. Through the glass she could see Mystique still sleeping peacefully, but Rogue couldn't stay. She had something she was destined to do.

**Westchester:**

Rogue walked into the bar, her eyes searching through the crowds until she spotted the one person she had come for. With a wicked grin on her lips, Rogue nodded to a man gawking at her from the pool table. She didn't say a word as she swiped the man's pool stick and headed towards the poker table in the back of the room.

"I t'ink I won again, Mon Amis," said Remy with a chuckle as he laid down his hand of cards. The men around him groaned, some looking up in confusion at something behind him. Remy turned at the tap on his shoulder, and instantly regretted it.

Rogue used the pool stick to hit Remy across the face, knocking him out of his chair and onto the wooden floor. She pressed one end of the stick into his throat, and watched in amusement as he looked up at her in surprise.

"You really know how ta sweep a man off his feet, non, chérie?" teased Remy wrapping a hand around the pool stick.

Rogue raised an eyebrow as the stick glowed red. "Ya weren't thinkin' of tryin' ta blast your way outta here, were ya, Swamp Rat? You best be lettin' go of the stick ahn comin' with meh. Ah have a proposition for ya."

"Somehow I don' find dat the least bit comfortin', chère."

"Don't make meh hurt ya." Rogue tossed the stick aside and reached down to grab Remy by the collar of the neck, pulling him onto his feet. The men in the bar laughed and whistled as they watched Rogue drag Remy outside.

"You're startin' ta ruin my reputation, chère, so dis prop'sition o' yours better be good."

"Ah wanna find Sinister," stated Rogue crossing her arms in front of her chest.

Remy made a face. "Now why you wanna go find him, huh? He only wants ta use ya."

"Let him try…Ah have a few tricks up mah sleeve…Ah ain't goin' down without a fight—ahn you're gonna help meh."

"Are you tryin' ta get me killed on purpose, chère? 'Cause ev'ry time I turn 'round dere you are 'causin' me a shitload of trouble."

Rogue rolled her eyes. "Ya ain't gonna be the only one helpin' meh out, sugah. Juggernaut, Black Tom, Destiny ahn Lady Deathstrike will be comin' along too."

"Why you gotta go find Sinister—can't ya do somet'in' else?"

"Swamp Rat, Ah suggest ya humor meh ahn get meh in with Sinister. Ah wanna join his side for a while."

Remy groaned. He was going to die hanging around Rogue…promise or no promise to Mystique. "What do ya think you're gonna do on his side?"

Rogue smiled sweetly. "Ah'm gonna change the prophecy."

**A/N—I think this might be the longest chapter I've written so far. Anyway, this was a big one…and my personal favorite. A lot of stuff happened…important stuff. Until next time, enjoy this one!**


	49. Traitor

**Disclaimer: Still not mine.**

**Chapter 48-Traitor**

A loud clanging sound greeted the Brotherhood as Mystique shoved open the metal door. Her red hair was disheveled and her yellow eyes were wild with fear. She was breathing heavily, choking up with sobs every few seconds as she swayed into the room.

Pietro, being the fastest one in the room, quickly caught the shape shifter before she dropped to the ground. He maneuvered her over to a chair in the makeshift metal foyer, looking over at Wanda who was getting to her feet.

Wanda didn't need to read Pietro's mind to know what he was trying to tell her. Turning to Toad she snapped, "Get my father!"

Toad blinked in surprise but quickly disappeared down the metal hallway in search of Magneto. Wanda slowly made her way over to Mystique who was babbling under her breath, her yellow eyes staring off into space. The blue woman was in shock, that much was certain.

"Hey, now, what's goin' on, mates?" asked St. John as he edged over to the Maximoff twins and Mystique. Behind him Betsy and Philippa were both watching with avid interest. Mystique was usually calm and collected no matter what happened.

Lance and Tabitha joined the group, with Tabitha kneeling down in front of the shape shifter. "You know, she kinda reminds me of Rogue when Rogue has one of her headaches—or the voices in her head start up," remarked Tabitha.

At the mention of Rogue, Mystique's head snapped up, her eyes clearing as her hands shot out and gripped Tabitha by the collar of her shirt. "She's gone! She's gone!"

"Who's gone?" demanded Lance suspiciously as he helped Tabitha out of Mystique's iron grip. "Rogue? She was never here, Mystique. You sure you didn't hit your head or somethin'? You're actin' a little…weird."

"You don't understand what has happened…no one understands the full extent of Rogue's actions!" cried out Mystique standing on her feet again. She swayed once more, tears falling freely down her cheeks, and then plopped back down into her seat. She buried her face in her hands and began to cry just as Magneto entered the room. Directly behind him came Toad and Fred pushing the wheelchair with Jason Wyngarde in it.

"Raven, what has happened?" questioned Magneto kneeling down in front of his lover. Mystique glanced up with tear filled eyes and wrapped her arms around Magneto's neck, sobbing into his chest.

"Rogue…my baby girl is gone forever! I've only ever tried to save her…but I could never save her from herself!"

"Raven, you must pull your self together and tell us what happened. What has happened to Rogue?" Magneto gently pulled Mystique away from him and locked eyes with her.

Instantly Mystique's tears dried as she nodded in a businesslike manner. "Rogue came to Destiny's apartment last night…she left the X-Men about four days ago. She…she had had an altercation with Carol Danvers. Now Carol is in a coma and Rogue has seemed to come in possession of Carol's powers of flight, and possibly strength. When Rogue awoke after her fight with Carol she thought that's who she was. She flew to California, met Carol's parents, and then realized that she wasn't Carol.

"Rogue then returned to Caldecott, Mississippi where her adopted parents live. She made peace with them…learned that I have been watching over her since birth…and she said good-bye to the first person she ever absorbed. He died, Eric. The boy Rogue touched, he died as a result of that touch. She stayed for the funeral and realized she had to accept who she was. And she came to me last night…and we talked for hours, just like mothers and daughters are supposed to do. She was there when I fell asleep last night…but when I awoke this morning…she was gone."

"Gone where? Rogue's dangerous in that condition—every time she drains another person she gets an unwanted roommate upstairs!" exclaimed Tabitha, her blue eyes filling with worry.

Mystique hung her head. "She has gone to fulfill the prophecy…or change it. I don't know which, but I do know that she is no longer with the X-Men. Rogue is with Sinister now. She is working for the enemy. Our enemy…the X-Men's enemy…everyone's enemy."

"How the hell could Rogue possibly get in with Sinister?" growled Wanda with narrowed eyes.

"Look around, who's missing?" shot back Mystique. The mutants glanced around warily.

"Hey," started Piotr suddenly, "where are Sabertooth and Gambit?"

Mystique sighed. "I have never trusted Victor…he has been angry at the world of man longer than I've been alive. Sinister bought him a long time ago. As for Gambit…I ordered him to do whatever it took to watch over Rogue and protect her. He joined up with Sinister to have inside knowledge on what that monster wants with my daughter. Rogue has not gone to Sinister alone…Juggernaut, the Black Tom, Lady Deathstrike, and Destiny have more than likely all gone with her. Juggernaut also works for Sinister…but I think he believes in paying his debt to Rogue first."

Eric sat back on his heels, his mind turning over the news. "She is playing a dangerous game. Does she not realize what she will be doing while under Sinister's command?"

"I think she has every bit of an idea what she is meant to do," whispered Mystique. "Eric, Rogue will die if she completes the prophecy. She is the most powerful mutant in the world. I don't think even your powers and those of Xavier's combined could stop her. She knows she has the potential to be invincible…I believe she intends to unleash the Apocalypse so that she can destroy both him and the Dark Phoenix."

Lance made a face. "Jean? Rogue wants to kill Jean? Man, if that girl holds grudges then I better hide."

Mystique shook her head. "The Phoenix and Apocalypse are mortal enemies. The Phoenix was not always evil…it was a force of goodness, thereby going against everything Apocalypse stood for. Somehow or another Phoenix lost its light and turned on the world it protected. Eventually both the Phoenix and Apocalypse were locked away. If both of them roam the earth at the same time we will be looking at the Doomsday predicted in the Bible. However, there is a chance that in Apocalypse's death the evil inside Jean could be destroyed—leaving behind only the power it possessed."

"You think Rogue means to unleash Apocalypse and then turn around and kill him—as well as the Dark Phoenix? How the hell is she going to manage that?" snapped Wanda.

Jason spoke up in a halting voice for answer. "Rogue can have any power in the world…combined the powers would be unstoppable. Only Rogue can wield so much raw power at one time. Only Rogue is meant to release the Apocalypse…and only she can destroy him. But the true test will be whether or not she can withstand his powers of mind persuasion. If she cannot…all will be lost. Even the Phoenix will be no match for Apocalypse."

The Brotherhood glanced around at one another uneasily, their eyes showing true fear.

"How…why…what 'bout us?" asked St. John hesitantly.

"We will all perish. Humans and mutants will all perish," replied Jason in a husky whisper.

Eric took a deep breath as he got to his feet. His cold eyes surveyed the members of his Brotherhood before resting back on Mystique. Her yellow eyes implored him one thing only. Finally, the master of metal said, "Then there is only one thing to do. We must join forces with the X-Men and try to stop the prophecy from happening. Rogue is not as strong inside as she would like to be. Many of us here are the reasons why her heart is burdened with hatred. We must right our wrongs…we must stop the Rogue."

**The X-Mansion:**

"Anything?" asked Gabrielle as Xavier wheeled himself out of Cerebro. The rest of the adults gave a collective moan as the Professor shook his head.

"It is as though Rogue has simply vanished off the face of the planet," answered Xavier quietly.

"She's not…dead, is she?" demanded Logan, his eyes widening slightly.

"No…I would be able to find her then. It seems her mental barriers are back up in full force. She does not wish to be found, but I sense something else coming our way." Before someone could ask what the estate alarms went off. "We have company."

Upstairs, the X-Men were powering up as they peered out the front windows. Headed up the driveway were a jeep and SUV. It was the Brotherhood. The younger mutants glanced in relief at the elevator as it opened up and the adults piled out.

Scott spoke first. "It's Magneto and them. What do you think they want?"

"I believe they have come to talk." Xavier turned to the doorway, and opened it using his mind. He wheeled himself out onto the front porch, along with Logan, Sean, Ororo, Hank, and Moira. Scott, Kitty, and Kurt quickly filed outside as well while Gabrielle positioned herself in the doorway with Warren to keep the younger recruits inside. Taking the hint, the teens scrambled to the nearest window, pushing them open to hear the adults talk.

"It's been a long time, Charles," said Magneto in greeting.

"Too long, Eric. I sense, however, that you have come to offer me a proposition."

Eric smiled a knowing smile and turned to motion Mystique forward. The shape shifter eyed the X-Men on the porch carefully before speaking. Her voice cracked with emotion. "Rogue came to me last night…she's undergone quite a remarkable change since I last saw her."

"Where is she?" snarled Logan stepping forward, his claws popping out of his knuckles.

Mystique barely blinked at the visible threat. "She has joined forces with Sinister. Rogue is going to complete the prophecy." Then the shape shifter quickly explained where Rogue had been the last few days and her theory regarding Rogue, Apocalypse, and the Dark Phoenix. When she finished, tears were rolling down her cheeks.

As soon as Mystique had finished speaking, Logan turned to Moira. "You're the scientist…can Rogue do what shifty thinks she will do?"

"Oh yes…and much more." Moira stepped forward so both Xavier and the Brotherhood could see her. "Rogue's DNA has undergone quite a transformation since she's gained her powers…I can't say how much since all I have to go on are recent blood samples…but if Rogue can learn how to control her powers then, yes, she can channel all of them at once. This is why the prophecy has always talked about her—Rogue's the only mutant in the planet with powers like these. She knows the risk she is taking in going through with this prophecy."

"Will she live?" asked Kurt teleporting beside the scientist.

Moira shrugged helplessly, running a nervous hand through her brown hair. "It's hard to say. I don't know what will happen if Rogue goes against Apocalypse…she could wind up getting both herself and Jean killed. It depends how strong Rogue is…but she doesn't know how to control her powers. I don't know what makes her think she's ready to take on such a big task. She needs time to study her powers and train them to do what she wants. I think Rogue is only jumping head first into this now because she isn't sure how long she will be in control of her mind. Rogue has a hard time remembering who she is these days…she's borrowed too many powers, and they're all fighting to be the primary power. Rogue is too fragile to handle this type of responsibility."

"This is all your fuckin' fault, lady!" yelled Logan pointing a finger at Mystique.

The blue shape shifter snorted. "Oh please, like you didn't push her away either? We all did! Rogue is too damn dangerous for her own good! I should never have let her join your side—none of this would have happened if she hadn't had to fight with that fuckin' Danvers girl!"

"You're the one who tried to kill her! You're no mother—you're a monster!"

"I've done what's best for her. You can't say the same, asshole! You've pushed her to her limits here—making sure she can fight in battle and stays cooped up in this fuckin' hellhole you call a home! You're the one that let her take off after her first meltdown—letting her handle it on her own!"

"You caused her meltdown! The girl was fine until you got a hold of her—you fucked with her mind!"

"Stop it—both of you!" shrieked Moira stepping between the two mutants who were now standing face to face. "Everyone has made a wrong decision when it comes to Rogue…but no one is more at fault then the other. Rogue needs you—both of you. She is your daughter, for Chrissakes!"

"What?" Logan turned to Moira, surprise etched in his face. He turned back to Mystique who now had a hand on her mouth, her yellow eyes wide in fear.

Moira took a deep breath. "Why do you think I got a sample of Rogue's blood in the first place? She came to me, asking me to check if Mystique was telling the truth. Logan, you are Rogue's birth father. She's been so out of it lately that she grew afraid to tell you the truth. That's why I wanted you to talk to her the night she fought with Carol. Rogue craves family…security and comfort. That's her driving force—you can see it in her eyes. She tried to make a family with Mystique…and that didn't work out; she's been trying to make a family with you…but she must have freaked out over Laura."

"Laura?" repeated Mystique. "Who the hell is Laura?"

"My daughter," sighed Logan rubbing his forehead. "Or my sister…she's a clone. She came from Hydra—part of the Weapon X program…speaking of which, where's my favorite feline?"

Eric shook his head. "Sabertooth has been working for Sinister for quite some time now. But I wouldn't worry about him attacking Rogue…Gambit is supposed to be looking out for her—as well as Juggernaut, Black Tom, Lady Deathstrike, and Destiny."

"You let a thief watch over my daughter?" growled Logan eyeing Mystique darkly.

"She's my daughter too…and besides, I didn't see any of your precious X-Men watching out for her. Gambit knows what is at stake if Rogue dies…he won't let anything happen to her."

"I don't trust him…he's too…charming. He tried to hit on Ororo at a bar one night—right in front of me. He ain't the smartest kid on the block."

Wanda rolled her eyes, reluctantly stepping forward to come to Mystique's defense. "He's been doing a good job so far. I tried to attack her the other day, and in swoops Gambit to the rescue."

Piotr nodded in agreement. "He always knew where she was…and what she was doing so he could report in to Mystique."

"Hey, Wolvie, if it makes ya feel any better, Rogue really can't stand the guy. They didn't exactly hit it off the day he arrived. That's the only reason she returned to the mansion. The Cajun bugs the hell out of her. Hell, I don't think he's too fond of her either," quipped Tabitha with a small shrug.

A low growl reverberated in Logan's throat as his eyes returned to Mystique. "I seem to remember we were the same way," he muttered.

Mystique gave a snort that turned into a cough as her eyes widened. "You don't think they…they couldn't possibly…oh no."

Kurt suddenly appeared at his mother's side, pointing a finger in her face. "If anything happens to my sister under that man's care I will lock you in the Danger Room!" he threatened.

"It's nice to see you too, son," murmured Mystique with a raised eyebrow.

"Well it would be if you had told me sooner that you had another son—and with Sabertooth. Ew. Mother, you have bad taste in men. I'm starting to think the crazy psycho stuff comes from you," replied Kurt in a huff.

Logan's eyes narrowed. "You had a kid with Sabertooth? How many kids do you have, lady? Should we be worried another one's gonna pop up and join the club?"

"Oh shut up. I didn't come here to be insulted. We came to work together. The Brotherhood and the X-Men must work together from now on. Rogue's life is at stake…as is the life of Jean Grey." Mystique crossed her arms in front of her chest as the X-Men and Brotherhood eyed one another warily.

Xavier nodded in agreement. "From this day forward we are one team."

**Elsewhere:**

Sinister's voice droned on, losing Rogue's attention. She was seated in a cushioned chair directly between Remy and Phoenix. Across from them sat Sebastian Shaw, Selene, and Emma—the rulers of the Hellfire Club. Lady Deathstrike, Black Tom, Juggernaut, Sabertooth, and Destiny were scattered around the room in various chairs. Everyone seemed to have their attention directed on the evil mutant standing in the front.

Rogue let out a deep breath as she turned her attention to her nails, which were now visible through a pair of black fingerless gloves. She now wore a pair of black form fitting pants with a matching belt hung loosely around her waist, combat boots pulled up to her calves, a black form fitting shirt, and a black jacket that ended at her midsection with sleeves down below her elbows.

The click of a cigarette lighter made Rogue look away from her nails. She glanced at Remy and saw him take a drag of a freshly lit cigarette. Unable to withstand the nicotine craving, Rogue swiftly took the cigarette out of Remy's mouth and popped it in her own. She felt her body begin to relax almost immediately…she had gone far too long without smoking. Rogue ignored the dark glare Remy sent her as he pulled out another cigarette and lit up.

On her other side Rogue could sense Phoenix's disdain at the smoke filtering the immediate area around her. With a smirk on her face Rogue turned to study her latest nemesis. Phoenix had not been pleased to find Rogue joining Sinister's side. The dark entity didn't trust Rogue in the least, which amused Rogue to no end.

Speaking of enemies…Rogue blew out a puff of smoke as she turned to glance across the room at Emma Frost. The blonde woman was shooting her dagger eyes. While Emma's darker counterparts were enthralled to learn Rogue had defeated Carol Danvers and manage to keep the girl's powers for so long, Emma had been livid with anger. The Ice Queen had refused to say a single word to Rogue since then…which didn't bother Rogue one bit. Eventually, Rogue returned her attention to Sinister who was going over the latest plans to release Apocalypse.

"So the next step," said Sinister, "is to locate and capture the Four Horsemen."

Rogue snorted. "Sure, ahn that sounds easy enough. How the hell are ya plannin' ohn convincin' 'em ta join us? Cookies ahn milk?"

Phoenix narrowed her eyes at the southerner as Sinister answered. "Our means of persuasion will be easy, my dear Rogue. You see, Mesmero will be more than happy to…convince…the Four Horsemen that their services are needed. Getting them will be Phoenix's job—yours is to drain our enemies so that you will be ready to unlock Apocalypse's tomb."

"Sounds like fun," muttered Rogue as she puffed away on her cigarette. Absorbing the powers of other mutants was going to take a massive toll on her, and Rogue was afraid to find out what that toll would be. She was still hurting from the episode with Carol. Rogue still woke up thinking she was Carol every morning…and it usually took an hour before she could sort her mind out again.

"Afraid you can't handle your part of the plan?" asked Phoenix coolly.

"Ah cahn handle it just fine, birdie, how 'bout you? Think ya cahn find all of the Four Horsemen ahn get them ohn our side in one piece?" shot back Rogue. "One look at ya ahn they're gonna run for cover—ahn you know it."

Emma got to her feet, her eyes smoldering. "Shut the hell up! I don't know who you think you are waltzing in here and pretending to be on our side—but I don't trust you! Once an X-Man, always an X-Man!"

Remy grinned. "Den I don' t'ink trustin' the bird is the way ta go, non?"

"Oh go screw yourself, Cajun! No one asked for your opinion!" shrieked Emma in a shrill voice.

Rogue chuckled. "Looks like ya went ahn made blondie angry, Swamp Rat."

"Jus' thought I'd point out de obvious, chère. Not like I care any if de red bird trades sides—den I wouldn't hafta walk 'round wit' my cards charged ev'ry time I left de room."

"Enough," cut in Sinister sharply. "We don't have time for games. First thing tomorrow Phoenix, Sabertooth, Lady Deathstrike, and Mesmero will round up the Four Horsemen; Rogue, you will absorb the powers of all the X-Men and Brotherhood members you have not yet taken."

"So long as the Swamp Rat goes with meh," agreed Rogue.

Making a face, Remy said, "Now why ya gotta go an' make me volunteer for th' dang'rous stuff, chérie? Don' ya wan' me ta live? Hangin' 'round you is startin' ta make me t'ink you're tryin' ta get rid o' me."

"Only in your dreams, Swamp Rat."

"More like nightmares if ya ask me," mumbled Remy with a scowl.

Rogue grinned at him as she got to her feet. She glanced back at Sinister with a serious look on her face. "We'll be gone first thing in the mornin', sugah. Don't wait up for us tomorrow…We'll be in touch." Without waiting for a reply Rogue turned her back on the evil mutant and made her way out of the room with Remy hot on her heels.

Halfway down the hallway Remy began to speak. "You're treadin' on dang'rous ground, chère. I don' t'ink pissin' off de White Queen is a smart move."

"She cahn rot in hell for all Ah care. The damn bitch is pissed that Ah put Carol in a coma—apparently Carol was her favorite lil' underling ahn Ah screwed up her plans by not dyin'."

"An' puttin' us on de woman's black list helps us how?"

Rogue rolled her eyes as they turned down the hall leading towards the bedrooms. "Swamp Rat, you're gonna hafta learn ta trust meh…Ah know what Ah'm doin'. Emma will get her dues soon enough."

Remy grabbed Rogue's arm, pulling her to a stop so he could turn her around to face him. He could only talk to her back for so long without making a point. "Look, chère, I'm on your side—but I jus' t'ink we should be careful. We're a team, non?"

"Ah guess…"

"Den don' get me killed, chère. I won' be able ta protect ya if I'm dead!"

Rogue frowned. "Ah never asked ya ta watch over meh."

"But Mystique did—ahn dis thief always keeps his end of de bargain. Now, ya gonna play nice wit' de others, or do I hafta put ya in time out?"

"Cute. Keep that up ahn Ah'll make sure ya never have kids, Swamp Rat." Rogue wrenched her arm out of Remy's grasp and continued down the hall.

Remy grinned as he followed behind her. "Didn't know ya wanted kids, chérie. Remy be more den happy ta help ya along."

"Ah'd rather kiss Toad than you, Cajun—so don't hold your breath 'bout kids."

"I t'ink you'll come 'round 'ventually, chère. No one can resist de Cajun charm."

"Someone shoot meh now," murmured Rogue under her breath as she pushed open the door of one of the bedrooms. Remy chuckled as he followed Rogue in, shutting the door and locking it. The Cajun went to glance out the bedroom window as Rogue plopped herself down on the bed.

"Security is up an' rollin' 'gain," announced Remy softly.

Rogue sighed. "They just wanna make sure we don't take off in the dead of the night ta warn the others what they're up ta. Rumors are startin' ta circulate that the X-Men and Brotherhood have joined forces. Gawd, why'd we even agree ta stay in this hell hole? A hotel would've been better than this place."

"If they gonna trust us, chère, den we gonna hafta stay wit' 'em for a while. 'Sides, I don' t'ink dis place is all bad. It kinda reminds me of the mansion you were stayin' at. It's ten times comfier den Magneto's metal dome. Dat place was too damn cold for my likin'."

"Ah guess. Ah jus' don't like the idea of stayin' under the same roof as Emma. Ah don't trust her."

"Look on de bright side, chérie, at least ya have easy access ta their students when ya start touchin' mutants 'morrow."

Rogue nodded in agreement as she lay down on the bed. The Hellfire Mansion reminded her of the X-Mansion too…though the friendly, care free atmosphere was missing here. The students Rogue had seen were serious and soldier-like; even Amara and Roberto had seemed withdrawn, of course Rogue figured that was because they were afraid of what it meant with both Rogue and Jean working for Sinister now.

Remy looked over at Rogue, taking note of the small frown on her face. She hadn't been herself since she had knocked him down on the bar. The battle with Carol Danvers had made her much more introverted than usual. Sure she willingly discussed tactics and bantered with him, but Remy had a hard time getting the southern belle to talk about herself. Rogue seemed to go blank when he asked her how she was feeling.

With a sigh of his own Remy took off his trench coat, tossing it over the back of one of the chairs in the room. Rogue ignored him, her eyes gazing out at the sky from her place on the pillow. Remy frowned as he went to lie down beside her with her back facing him.

Finally, "Remy, do ya think Ah cahn defeat Apocalypse ahn the Phoenix?"

"I don' know, chère. I wish I could tell ya oui, but I can't," replied Remy quietly.

Rogue turned around to face Remy, her green eyes filled with fear. "Ah'm scared."

"So am I, chère, so am I." Remy reached out, pulling Rogue into his arms. A million different jokes entered his mind as he felt Rogue snuggle against his chest, but Remy kept his mouth shut. They could wait until another time.

**At The Same Time:**

Emma's face seemed frozen in a permanent scowl as her heels clicked on the floor. Within minutes her fast pace brought her directly to the door of her bedroom. She flung open the door and slammed it shut, knocking a picture off the wall. Emma didn't bother looking as the glass broke into a million little pieces.

"I hate her!" Emma stalked over to her bed, grabbing a satin pillow and tearing it open. Two more of her pillows were shredded apart before the White Queen turned her attention to her vanity. She picked up a perfume bottle and flung it across the room and into the wall. She swept the rest of her make-up off her vanity and onto the floor before walking over to her desk.

"That little bitch is going to pay if it's the last thing I do!" vowed Emma as she began ripping various papers in half. With a small growl she pushed the rest of the papers on her desk onto the ground, stomping on bits of glass with the heels of her shoes.

As soon as she felt her temper subside, Emma glanced around her room in satisfaction, her mind swirling with thoughts. Rogue would die…Emma wasn't sure how yet, but Rogue would die.

**A/N—Another chapter closer to Apocalypse…exciting isn't it?**


	50. Trials and Tribulations

Disclaimer: None of this belongs to me

**Disclaimer: None of this belongs to me.**

**49-Trials and Tribulations**

"Remy, wake up," whispered Rogue shaking the Cajun gently. Remy mumbled in his sleep, a frown crossing his face as his eyes blinked open to reveal his red irises.

"I was sleeping just fine, chère—dreaming about us and our three kids," grumbled Remy in a teasing manner.

Rogue made a face. "How many times do I have to tell you, Swamp Rat, that we are not having kids together?"

"I know, I know. We still have to get married," replied Remy with a smirk. Rogue rolled her eyes at the joke and pulled Remy into a sitting position on the bed. The room was still dark, and Remy could still see the stars shining outside. "Aw, chère, it isn't even morning yet. What'd you go and wake me up for?"

"Because I've got a lot of people to absorb today, remember? If we want to get in and out of the X-Mansion as quickly as possible then we need to go now while they're unprepared. Half of them should be asleep."

"You'd make a good thief, chérie. You ever think about switching careers?"

"Not lately. Now let's get going…I don't have all day, you lazy bum."

"I'm coming," sighed Remy getting to his feet. "So who's first?"

Rogue grinned as she opened the door to their bedroom. "I was thinking of letting the precious White Queen go first."

"You sure are one dangerous fille, chérie." Remy grabbed his trench coat off the back of the chair and shrugged it on as he followed Rogue out of the room. They made their way down the hallway until Rogue stopped in front of a single door. She tried the knob and rolled her eyes upon finding it locked. Stepping aside, Rogue watched as Remy quickly picked the lock and swung open the door. With a grateful smile Rogue allowed her eyes to adjust to the dark before walking inside.

The room was a mess. Rogue shook her head as she made her way over to the bed where Emma was passed out on. Rogue wrinkled her nose in disgust as she got a whiff of alcohol. The blonde woman was drunk. Rogue quickly reached down and placed the tips of her fingers on Emma's cheek, feeling her powers start up instantly. Rogue's eyes widened just as Emma's flew open—both of them sharing the same memory of Emma pointing a gun at her sister. Just as the gun fired, Rogue let go, stumbling backwards as Emma fell back into her torn pillows, unconscious.

"You alright, chère?" asked Remy as Rogue made her way out of the room. She nodded sharply as he closed the door. Pulling herself together as best she could Rogue walked over to another door. She had to do what she had to do.

Sebastian and Selene were fast asleep as Rogue slipped into the room. With two touches Rogue was able to stumble back out into the hallway and move on to the next room, trying hard not to think about directing mutant slave sales or sucking the life out of someone to stay young and beautiful.

Sabertooth didn't make a sound as Rogue absorbed him; he simply fell into a deeper sleep than before. But she was grinding her teeth at his dark thoughts and hidden past that linked him to Logan.

Destiny, Yuriko, and Black Tom experienced the same thing. Each one leaving Rogue with more memories than she cared to experience at a single time. With Irene Rogue felt what it was like to see flashes of a fiery future; with Yuriko Rogue felt the woman's healing factor kicking in so she could escape and save Mastermind from a watery grave; and with Black Tom Rogue felt a deep hatred for Banshee, mixed with genuine love of the young girl Siryn.

"Here are the dormitories, chère," murmured Remy as they entered another hallway. "I think this door is for the filles."

"Right." Rogue pushed open the door and took a deep breath as she made her way to each bedside. The first bed belonged to Amara. Rogue reached down and drained the girl, rolling her eyes as she felt her body take on a magma like form…and then just as suddenly as it had happened, the form disappeared, leaving Rogue her normal self again.

The next bed belonged to Sharon Smith, a girl with lavender eyes and lavender colored hair cropped down to her ears. She called herself Catseye, and as Rogue absorbed her she could see why. The girl thought she was a real cat.

Jennifer Stavros, a girl with shoulder length blonde hair streaked with red, and blue eyes. Known as Roulette, Rogue had no qualms about draining this girl. She could use good luck for the rest of her day.

The next bed over was Marie-Ange Colbert's. She had dark red hair down to her chin and green eyes. Called Tarot, the girl was never without her tarot cards, but Rogue had no use for them, just the girl's powers.

Next was Angelica Jones, known as Firestar. Her hair was an orange-red color, off setting her blue eyes during the day. Rogue reached down to drain her, taking note that the girl's thoughts indicated she was with the Hellions against her will.

Sooraya Qadir was in the very next bed. It was the first time Rogue had seen the girl not wearing her traditional Muslim garb. The girl known as Dust had long black hair, and dark eyes, but Rogue didn't know if she liked the girl's ability of turning to dust in the midst of battle.

Mercury was next. Her real name was Cessily Kincaid, but she rarely liked to go by that considering her body was made up of the blue mercury color, off setting her short red hair. Oddly enough the girl almost reminded Rogue of Mystique.

The last bed in the room belonged to Maria Callasantos, the girl known as Feral. Rogue shuddered as she studied the girl. Her orange and white shoulder length hair was tangled, and Rogue hated the way the girl glared at her with her bright yellow irises. It reminded Rogue too much of Sabertooth.

Rogue left the room and went to the door directly across from it leading into the boys' dormitory. Roberto was first, making Rogue grimace as she walked away with hatred of his father and undying devotion to Amara.

Next was David. Rogue grabbed a hold of the bed post after draining him, trying to keep the multiple personalities in the back of her mind so she could concentrate on the others in the room.

Devon Alomar, a boy with dark scraggly hair and dark eyes, known as Switch. As Rogue drained him, she suddenly felt as though she was looking up at her own body…as though she were Devon. The sensation evaporated in the blink of an eye and Rogue found herself back in her own body staring down at an unconscious boy.

Specter was next; a boy with blonde hair and blue eyes who had the ability to blend in with his own shadow. Rogue smiled after she drained him, recognizing his shy nature as one she had once had long ago. It seemed Dallas Gibson was nothing more than a lost soul.

Manuel Alfonso de la Rocha, also called Empath, was in the next bed. He had slick brown hair and matching eyes which had made Rogue distrust him upon first glance. She almost enjoyed absorbing his powers of empathy.

The next boy to drain was James Proudstar. His dark hair was normally pulled back in a small ponytail, and his dark eyes always seemed angry. Rogue felt an instant connection to the boy after draining him, learning of the loss of his brother. It was fitting that he had taken the code name of Warpath.

Brian Cruz was next. His long dark hair was put in cornrows, and he had dark eyes to match. Known as Tag, Rogue didn't blink twice as she drained him, knowing his powers would come in handy later.

The next one was known as Wither. His real was Kevin Ford, and his outlook on life matched his short dark hair and eyes. Rogue was careful as she drained him, not wanting to reduce herself to dust.

Rogue waited a few minutes to gather her strength, and hide the powers of Wither in the back of her mind before moving on to the mutant known as Icarus. He had light brown hair and blue eyes. Rogue knew he was called Jay by his friends, and that his real name was Joshua, but she had never heard his last name. As she drained him however, she felt a stab at her heart. This boy was related to Sam and Paige back at with the X-Men. He was a Guthrie.

Breathing heavily Rogue left the room and headed to the next door over which housed one Christopher Aaronson or King Bedlam as he was known. The man had brown hair and eyes, but Rogue had hated him at first sight. He was something of a slave driver when he was training the Hellions. Rogue had wanted to kick his ass to show him he was nothing more than an angry mutant prepping for war.

Remy was at her side as Rogue stumbled out of Bedlam's room. Her face was haggard from all the drainings. "Chère, do you have to do this? I know a place where they won't find us…we can hide there until the X-Men get Phoenix…there doesn't have to be an Apocalypse."

"I've got to finish what I've started, Swamp Rat. A lot of this is my fault. I have to fix it," replied Rogue struggling to stand without Remy's aid. Shaking his head Remy wrapped an arm around her waist and together the pair made their way down to the last bedroom in the house. Inside Mesmero was waiting for her.

The man was seated in a tall chair beside a fire, his dark eyes never lifting as Rogue entered the room with Remy right behind her. He was bald, but his head was covered with tattoos. All in all he was an imposing fellow.

"I was wondering when you would show up, Rogue. I was half expecting you to run off and hide," said Mesmero.

"And miss Apocalypse's waking up ceremony? Are you crazy?" shot back Rogue with a roll of her eyes. "I'm just here for your powers."

"They're all yours."

Gritting her teeth together Rogue reached down to Mesmero's face and placed her fingertips on him, absorbing his powers. Remy caught the brunette before she collapsed, helping her out of the room. Standing outside of the doorway was Sinister.

"Here are the names of the Four Horsemen—I want you to absorb their powers before Phoenix collects them," stated the dark mutant flatly. Rogue nodded and took the offered piece of paper from his hands, touching his skin as she did so. Sinister's eyes fluttered shut and he fell in a heap to the floor.

Rogue opened the paper and studied the names and locations carefully. "Looks like the sewers next, sugar."

**Westchester Sewers:**

Rogue listened to the distant echo of dripping water as she led Remy through the damp sewer tunnel. One hand was raised in the air like a ball of fire, lighting the way.

"I don't like this place," stated Remy with a grumble.

Rogue snorted. "Well it's not like I'm asking you to move down here, sugar. We're just stopping by to pay the Morlocks a little visit."

"Like they really want to visit with us."

"Want me to throw you in the water?"

"I was just saying."

Rolling her eyes Rogue slowed her pace, motioning for Remy to do the same as her ears caught a soft footstep from up ahead. Without warning the pair found themselves under attack from Callisto and Evan.

"What the hell are you doing down here?" seethed Callisto as Rogue lifted the woman into the air with a wave of her hands.

"Goddammit, Rogue! What the fuck are you up to?" demanded Evan, struggling to free himself from the grip Rogue had around his throat.

"Just thought I'd drop by and see how y'all were doing," replied Rogue with a sly smile. "Didn't expect a welcoming committee, did we, Swamp Rat?"

"Non…we figured we would be throwing a surprise party. But I kind of like this better 'cause now we don't have to get them a gift," stated Remy with a smile. In his hands a deck of cards were busy being shuffled.

"Oh I don't know about that, Cajun. I thought I'd give them a special surprise to let them know just how much I appreciate them." As Rogue spoke Evan's eyes began to widen as he felt her fingertips dig into his skin and drain him. A few seconds later he was lying in a heap on the ground as Rogue waved Callisto closer to the ground.

Rogue spoke in a whisper before draining the dark haired Morlock. "I guess you were right about me, sugar…I can't be trusted." Rogue stepped over the fallen pair gingerly, motioning for Remy to follow her as she struggled to keep control of her mind. She wouldn't be weak down here…not when she had so many more mutants to drain before daylight broke.

"It stinks," remarked Remy quietly.

"That means we're getting closer," murmured Rogue. Five minutes later the pair came across the rest of the Morlocks, catching them by surprise.

Caliban stepped forward as the Morlocks began to group together. "Rogue…what is going on?"

"This is nothing more than a business call, Caliban. Y'all are getting a real deal by not forcing me to take you topside to leave you for the humans. All I want is to borrow some powers and I'll be on my way."

Remy grinned as he brought out his bo-staff, whirling it around in his hands. "I think they're going to put up a fight, chère."

"Sounds like a party to me." Rogue lunged forward, grabbing Caliban and flipping him onto the ground. She bent down to place her fingertips on his face, whispering, "This is going to hurt me more than it's going to hurt you, sugar…but I don't have a choice anymore."

Caliban's eyes fluttered shut as Remy took a few steps into the makeshift hideout, his eyes daring the rest of the mutants to run away. Rogue got to her feet and grimaced as the Morlocks bent their heads in defeat. It seemed that Callisto, Evan, and Caliban were the ringleaders of the bunch…and that the rest of the Morlocks were nothing more than gentle folk.

"I don't want to do this…but it's the only way to stop the true evil that's coming our way," said Rogue softly. "I promise y'all will be better in the morning. It's just like going to sleep."

One Morlock stepped forward, speaking in a strained voice. "We only ask to be left alone after this," she said in a husky voice. Rogue nodded and placed gentle fingertips on the mutant's dark skinned face, watching as the woman fell to the ground beside Caliban. Rogue waited for the powers to subside as another mutant stepped forward.

He was a small boy with gray skin and brown hair. "Is Cybelle gonna be okay? Leech doesn't want Cybelle to be hurt," murmured the boy softly as he glanced at the fallen Morlock.

"She'll be fine, sugar, I promise."

Leech nodded as Rogue bent down to absorb the boy, she caught him and gently lowered him to the ground as another mutant came forward in a meek manner, almost melting off the walls. "We have wondered when you…would come. You are talked about…everywhere now. A dangerous topsider…you will never return here again…you must not return again…" The mutant with the long goatee and thin mustache fell silent as he slumped to the ground.

Rogue flexed her fingers, remembering that she wasn't Façade and turned to face the next Morlock. This one reminded her of Toad with his frog-like appearance. He didn't say a word as Rogue drained him and moved onto the next one.

"Oh dear…if even Lucid is doing it…I guess I have…no choice," murmured the woman as she shifted between her large reptilian shape and human form. "I am Scaleface of the Morlocks…I fear no one." The last words were said more to comfort herself as Rogue reached out and absorbed the woman.

"It is alright, Torpid. They are all going to sleep. You wanted to take a nap today, remember?" A tiny old woman with gray hair stepped forward pushing a small girl with dark brown hair in front of her. "Plague will be here when you wake up."

Rogue reached down and absorbed the tiny girl and waited until the Morlock known as Plague had eased the girl to the ground. Rogue studied the tiny woman carefully. "I think I'll be seeing you again very soon." With those words Rogue reached out and drained the woman, falling backwards into Remy's arms as Plague collapsed to the ground.

"Why are we going to see the old lady again, chérie?"

"She's one of the Four Horsemen," mumbled Rogue as she wrapped an arm around Remy's shoulders and allowed him to help her walk back the way they had come.

**The X-Mansion**

Toad was grumbling under his breath as he walked down the stairs of the mansion. First and foremost, he didn't feel comfortable living with the X-Geeks—not after months of fighting against them…and secondly, the girl following him around was driving him nuts.

"Would you leave me alone?" demanded Toad as he stopped on the bottom step.

Illyana blinked in surprise and grinned. "Didn't my brother tell you to play nice with me?" she teased.

"If he wasn't made of metal I wouldn't be listening to him, now would I? But, seriously, sweetums, it's getting kind of old with you following me around. Aren't you bored? Don't you have friends?" shot back Toad throwing his hands up in exasperation.

"Fine, fine, I'll go bother Piotr…but don't think that means I'm gonna leave you alone tomorrow. Bye." Illyana patted Toad on the head and bounced into the living room. Breathing in relief Toad slumped down on the steps, resting his head on the railing. Of all the girls to follow him around, Illyana had been his last choice…but it seemed Wanda really had no feelings for him. She spent most of her time with Piotr, Illyana's brother.

"Why me, huh?" groaned the teen looking up at the ceiling.

In the living room Piotr was seated on the couch watching the news with little interest. He was bored as well…actually he was itching to get out a canvas and some paints, but he shoved that idea aside as Illyana plopped down beside him, her blonde curls bouncing every which way.

"Is something the matter?" questioned Piotr with concern.

"I don't think Toad likes me."

Piotr made a face, but didn't point out that she didn't need Toad to like her. His sister had always been a bit strange growing up. She liked the very people and things that no one else did. So Piotr hadn't been too surprised that she had taken an intense liking to Toad. "Perhaps you should give him some more time…and a little space, no?"

Illyana shrugged. "I guess. You didn't threaten him did you?"

"No. I think he is genuinely afraid of me to begin with." Piotr chuckled and ruffled Illyana's hair before asking, "Are you happy here?"

"Yeah…the X-Men are really nice, Piotr. You should give them another chance. Mama and papa would be proud if you stuck it out with the X-Men and not that tin can you call a boss." Illyana grinned impishly. "Besides, they have their own pool and jet. That's like the best part of staying here!"

"We shall see," murmured Piotr thoughtfully.

Illyana rolled her eyes, growing serious. "Really, Piotr, they aren't bad. They have a good mission…and you've always been about doing good. I don't get why you're with the Brotherhood. I want you to be with me, and I'm going to stay with the X-Men. You're all I have."

"I know, and I will do anything to protect you, Illyana. I just need to think about it. I promise I will think on it, okay? Until then…let us just enjoy our time together."

"It's a deal." Illyana snuggled against her brother and turned her attention to the T.V. Piotr studied her for a minute before turning back to the news as well. A sudden sound coming from outside interrupted their reverie.

"What was that?" asked Illyana sitting up on the couch. Piotr shook his head, meaning he didn't know, as he got to his feet. He walked over to the window and peered out into the dark sky. Something was wrong. Just as he turned to tell Illyana to find an adult, the window burst open and Piotr was knocked to his feet. Before he could metal up, Rogue had drained him. Illyana let out a sharp cry as Rogue rounded on her.

From the foyer Toad lifted his head up at the sound of Illyana's voice. He jumped to his feet and burst into the living room, only to find Illyana and Piotr lying on the ground unconscious. Turning to run for help, Toad found himself face to face with Rogue.

"Oh no."

Rogue smiled. "Oh yes."

Remy climbed in through the window, brushing dust off his trench coat. He surveyed the three unconscious mutants on the ground before looking over at Rogue. "We better get moving, chère, before someone finds them lying around."

Rogue nodded and the pair moved out of the living room on silent feet.

Ray grinned at the giant ice cream sundae in front of him, glancing over at Rahne and Jamie who were watching with avid interest. "Whaddya think?"

Rahne giggled. "Ororo's gonna kill us for using all the ice cream to make this thing."

"Can we eat it yet?" demanded Jamie stamping in his foot impatiently. "I'm starving!"

"Let's dig in!" replied Ray. The three mutants each picked up a spoon, set to take their first bite of the sundae when Ray fell to the ground unconscious. Rahne and Jamie looked up with wide eyes just as Rogue placed her fingertips on their skin. The two mutants slid to the ground beside Ray as Remy poked a finger at the sundae.

"Remy, we don't have time," said Rogue crossing her arms.

"But it's going to melt if we just leave it here," protested Remy.

"We'll get ice cream later."

"You're no fun, chère."

"I'm supposed to be playing the part of the enemy here, I'm not supposed to be fun, Swamp Rat."

"Fine, but just so you know, I get to name our first kid."

Rogue made a face at the Cajun as they slipped out of the room. They blinked in surprise as they ran head first into Tabitha and Lance, heading straight for the kitchen.

"What the fuck?" gasped Tabitha, her eyes widening at the sight of Rogue and Remy.

"What are you doing here?" added Lance suspiciously.

"Dropping by to say bonjour, mon ami," said Remy bringing out his bo-staff and knocking Lance to the ground.

"Lance!" Tabitha turned to help Lance up, but fell into a deep sleep as Rogue absorbed her. Remy wasted no time in knocking Lance out as well.

"Are you going to get him too?" inquired the Cajun motioning at Lance.

Rogue shook her head. "I already drained him once. I don't need to drain him again."

Down the hallway, Xavier was seated in front of Gabrielle, holding her hands in his.

"I know you're still angry with me for not telling you about David," sighed Gabrielle. "At the time I thought I was doing you a favor by going away. I'm sorry."

"Gabrielle, I could never be mad at you…I was hurt when you filed for divorce, but I never stopped caring."

"Really?" Gabrielle looked up, hope in her eyes.

Xavier nodded. "I was sincere when I said I wanted to be with you for the rest of my life. Gabrielle, you mean the world to me, and if you'll have me, I would like to marry you again."

Gabrielle sniffed back a few tears, a smile on her face. "Of course."

Xavier smiled, but then it faltered as he glanced at the doorway, sensing an intruder in the house.

"Is something wrong?" asked Gabrielle noticing the look on his face.

"I think we have company."

"Friendly?"

Xavier let his thoughts drift away and shook his head. "I'm afraid not." He was about to contact the rest of the household and alert them when the door to his office swung open. Xavier felt his concentration falter as Rogue and Remy walked into the room.

Gabrielle got to her feet. "What's going on?"

"Business as usual," murmured Rogue. "I hope I wasn't interrupting anything, but I've got some more calls to make, and Ah can't have you messing them up."

"Rogue, you don't have to do this," murmured Xavier as Rogue came to stand before him. "There are other ways."

"I can't wait any longer, Professor. Time ran out, and now I have to make things right." Rogue reached forward and reluctantly drained Xavier. Gabrielle stifled a scream as Xavier slumped in his wheel chair; her eyes were wide as Rogue turned to look at her.

"What have you done?" hissed Gabrielle rushing to Xavier's side. Her question was never answered as Remy knocked her out cold.

"How come I have to do all the dirty work?"

"If you want to trade me places, Swamp Rat, be my guest."

A few doors down in the rec room, Pietro and Wanda were busy talking…or trying too. They were still trying to come to terms with each other as well as their father.

"So, uh, d'ya still hate me?" asked Pietro glancing over at his sister nervously from across the pool table.

Wanda regarded him with shielded eyes. "Naturally."

"Oh, okay, just checking." Pietro lapsed into silence as Wanda took her shot. He leaned on his pool stick, staring at the table. "Why d'ya think dad agreed to work with the X-Men this time?"

"Mystique," replied Wanda crisply. "He seems to be head over heels for that woman…it's disgusting."

"Right. Do you think Rogue and Jean are actually that big of threats?"

"Everyone else thinks so…I think Apocalypse will be the bigger threat…but you know how the X-Men get when one of their own is in trouble. Now they have two lost sheep working for Sinister." Wanda chuckled and watched Pietro take his shot.

"But that's the thing," started Pietro after he had taken his shot. "Rogue isn't one of them…sure she was living with them and trying to fit in…but she belongs with us. She always has. Rogue doesn't believe in all that shit about peace with humans…not with her powers."

Wanda sighed. "The X-Men are a very forgiving group of mutants. I'm sure they'd give Graydon Creed another chance if he ever decided to renounce his ways and aid mutant kind. But you're right about Rogue. I still hate her, but I don't see her sticking around with the X-Men forever. She's too cunning for them."

Both Wanda and Pietro looked up as Alison entered the room. "Oh sorry, I was looking for Illyana. Have you guys seen her? I can't seem to find her anywhere."

"Oh, well, uh, um…that is, I uh, um, no…no, I haven't, have I, Wanda?" Pietro looked over at Wanda, his tongue tied.

Rolling her eyes Wanda handed Alison her pool stick. "I'll check in the living room. Piotr was catching up with the news; maybe he's seen her for you."

"Oh, thanks." Alison watched Wanda leave the room, and turned back to Pietro. "Is she always like that?"

"You have no idea," replied Pietro letting out a breath of air. "Um, d'ya want to play some pool?"

"I don't really know how."

"That's okay, I can teach you."

"Okay then." Alison brightened at the thought and listened in amusement as Pietro began to state the basics of pool. The pair glanced up as a pair of footsteps entered the room.

"Oh shit," said Pietro as he caught sight of Rogue and Remy in the doorway. Before the speedster could grab Alison and run out of the room, he found himself dangling in the air. "Hey, Roguey, long time no see. How've you been?"

Rogue only offered the white haired teen a small smile as she walked over to Alison to absorb her as Remy knocked Pietro out. When they left the room Alison and Pietro were sprawled out on the floor.

At the same time, Wanda entered the living room. Her eyes widened in surprise as she caught sight of Piotr, Toad, and Illyana on the floor. She rushed over to Piotr, shaking him, but swore under her breath when he didn't awaken. Her heart fluttered in relief as his chest rose…he was still alive.

"She's here. Dammit!" Wanda got to her feet, clenching her hands into fists. A vase fell to the ground as the room began to shake. Seconds later Wanda was gone, in search of Rogue.

"Are you sure this is the right way?" whispered Remy as he followed Rogue around a corner of the sub-basement. Rogue nodded as she headed towards the door of the infirmary. Sean, Moira, and Hank looked up in surprise as the door opened up to reveal Remy.

"Bonjour, mes amis. How are you fine folk doing this lovely evening?"

Sean opened his mouth to let out his signature cry when Rogue flew in and absorbed him. Moira scurried over to her medicine cabinet as Hank lunged at Rogue. The blue beast went down to the ground in a heap as Moira pulled open her cabinet. Just as she reached for a vial Remy hit her in the back of the head.

Dropping to the ground Rogue walked over to the beds and pulled back the curtains. Lying there staring back at her was the mutant X-23.

"If I wasn't paralyzed by that human doctor I'd tear your eyes out," muttered the girl darkly.

"Keep dreaming, sugar," snorted Rogue as she drained the girl. Her eyes moved over the next bed over where an unconscious Carol was still lying. Rogue moved over to Carol's side, her mind screaming out at the one who had started Rogue's new life as Sinister's lackey. Rogue raised a tentative hand into the air, reaching towards Carol's lifeless body when she was rudely interrupted.

"Alright, Sheila, I think these are the flowers the old badger hates. Heh, bet he didn't think I'd actually go out and get you some, huh?" St. John blinked in surprise as Rogue whipped around to face him. "Rogue? When did you get back?"

He rubbed the back of his head with one hand, the other holding a bouquet of flowers. His eyes landed on X-23 who was fast asleep before returning to Rogue with a wary look in them. He raised his arms in the air and began to take small steps backwards. "I didn't see anything," he vowed. Rogue smiled as Remy came up behind the Aussie and knocked him out with his bo-staff.

"I hope you're keeping track, chère, 'cause this is number eight. You owe me for doing all of this for you."

"I take it a simple thank-you won't suffice, huh?" returned Rogue with a sigh.

"Non."

"Fine, I'll think about it on the way to the second floor. Come on." Rogue led Remy out of the infirmary and down the hallway to the elevator. She pressed the button and waited as the doors slid open…and Ororo and Logan stepped out.

Four pairs of eyes blinked in surprise before Rogue and Remy took off running down the hallway. Remy sent a dark look Rogue's way. "I bet you didn' think we'd be caught by your père, non?"

"A minor setback, Swamp Rat—just follow me, I have a plan!" shot back Rogue. She chanced a glance over her shoulder in time to see Logan and Ororo hot on their heels. With a grimace Rogue ran straight towards Cerebro. With a wave of her hands the doorway slid open and Rogue and Remy shot inside. Logan and Ororo entered just as Rogue floated into the air. Remy turned to face the two X-Men with his bo-staff at the ready.

"Any time now, chérie."

Logan took a step forward. "Rogue, we need to talk."

Rogue shook her head. "Maybe some other time, sugar, I have a schedule to meet." With those words Rogue swooped down and grabbed Remy, flying out of Cerebro. With another wave of her hands she shut the doorway and dropped Remy onto his feet. The Cajun walked over to the door controls and charged it with a touch of his hand. Backing away and shielding Rogue in his arms, Remy grinned as the controls exploded, locking Ororo and Logan in Cerebro.

"Shall we try again, petite?" asked Remy motioning back towards the hallway. Rogue took one last glance at Cerebro with a frown before nodding and following Remy back over to the elevator. This time when the doors opened they were empty, allowing Rogue and Remy to step inside.

On the second floor Paige was yawning as she made her way over to the elevator. She was ready for bed, but couldn't sleep with nothing in her stomach. The doors opened with a ding, revealing Rogue and Remy leaning against opposite sides of the elevator.

"Yeah," murmured Paige with a sinking feeling in her stomach, "I knew I should have taken the stairs."

As Paige slumped to the ground in a crumpled heap, Jubilee came popping out of her room with Amanda right behind her. Both girls stopped in their tracks upon seeing Rogue and Remy stepping out of the elevator.

"You take the firecracker, and I'll take the other one," suggested Rogue as Jubilee's hands began to fizzle. Remy quickly grabbed Jubilee, and knocked her to the ground as Rogue absorbed Amanda. Unfortunately Jubilee shot at Remy using her powers and began to run in the opposite direction of the pair, shouting at the top of her lungs.

"Intruders! We've got intruders!" cried out Jubilee breathlessly.

"You _had _to let her get away, didn't you, Swamp Rat?" growled Rogue shooting Remy a glare.

"Hey now, she shot at me, what was I supposed to do? Take one for the team? You won't get anywhere without me, chère, remember that," muttered Remy getting back onto his feet. Rogue narrowed her eyes as she turned her attention back to the hallway, which was quickly filling up with the rest of the mutants in the mansion. "I guess we'll have to do this the hard way, Cajun. I hope you know how to move fast because we're going to need a lot of speed to get through everyone now."

"You should've drained the speedy kid then, chère. Or maybe you can find his powers in that screwed up head of yours instead so you can speed drain everyone."

"Maybe I'll drain _you_ first." Rogue tightened her lips as she turned her attention to the mutants staring back at her. Taking a deep breath she floated into the air and shot towards her former housemates.

Fred, Forge, Danielle, and Theresa went down first—none ever realizing what was happening until it was too late. Sam was taken down next after rushing to Danielle's side, only to meet Rogue halfway. Alex and Lorna stepped into Rogue's path, Alex intent on helping Sam, while Lorna wanted to avenge Carol's condition, but Rogue absorbed them before they could even utilize their powers.

Rogue dropped back onto the ground, coming face to face with Scott. The teen leader looked angry and confused, his hands resting on his visor. "Don't make me do this, Rogue," he warned in a low tone.

"You don't know what you're up against, sugar. I'm trying to help you out…remember, I'm the only chance you've got at ever seeing Jeanie again." Rogue took advantage of the fact that Scott was distracted by the mention of Jean to reach out and touch his face as Warren came running down the hall, his wings out.

As he swooped down to attack Rogue Remy appeared in the air to knock the rich boy to the ground. Warren struggled to get to his feet as Rogue walked over and bent down beside him. "Sorry, Warren," she whispered as she touched his face. Warren's face softened with the absorption until he had passed out.

Remy regarded Rogue carefully, suspicion evident in his eyes. "Do I even want to know how come you seem to be so popular with all the guys?"

"It isn't what you think, Swamp Rat. We need to find the rest of the team. I know there are a couple of them I haven't drained yet." Rogue stood up and peered up and down the hallway carefully. Jubilee seemed to have vanished.

Remy motioned at Rogue, pointing down at one door in particular. Rogue nodded and silently made her way over to the door. Apparently Remy's years as a thief were paying off. Rogue pushed the door open and chuckled at seeing Bobby and Jubilee inside.

Bobby gulped and took a step forward to stand in front of Jubilee, extending his arms to protect her. "I'm guessing you're still pissed at me for cheating on you, huh?" he asked nervously.

"I had forgotten all about it until now. Thanks for reminding me, sugar," said Rogue reaching a hand towards Bobby just as he blasted her with ice. Rogue hit the wall with a thug, cursing aloud as the blonde teen and Jubilee sprinted out of the room. Unfortunately for them Remy was waiting. He knocked Jubilee unconscious and cornered Bobby using his bo-staff. Rogue scrambled back onto her feet and placed a hand on Bobby's face before he could use his powers again.

"Remind me not to get on your bad side, chère," muttered Remy placing his staff on his shoulders.

"Then keep your hands to yourself," replied Rogue flippantly. Remy made a face, turning as he heard a sound coming from another room. Rogue heard the sound as well and headed towards another door, cocking her ear as she stopped in front of it. There was another rustling sound and then the door flung open. The two mutants Arclight and Psylocke came out with Jason Wyngarde right behind them in his wheel chair.

Rogue and Remy glanced at each other, each thinking the same thing. This time a real battle was in the works.

Downstairs, Kurt and Mystique were sitting together in the library discussing Rogue.

"I don't understand why she had to leave," mourned Kurt. "She's an X-Man—we do things together."

Mystique sighed softly. "Rogue's powers don't enable her to trust easily. She fears what she is, and what she can do to her own friends. You and I have both been in contact with her powers…if you had them you would want to fight alone as well."

"I would not. I would want to be with the ones who could protect me."

"But who would protect you from yourself?"

Kurt fell silent, and glanced up in the doorway as Kitty entered. "Hey, have you guys seen Paige or Danielle lately?"

Mystique shook her head as Kurt answered. "No. Did you look upstairs yet? I thought they were going to bed."

Kitty shrugged. "I guess. I haven't tried very many places yet." She glanced at the shape shifter curiously. "Do you think Magneto will actually find anything out tonight?"

"It depends if anyone knows anything useful about the Hellfire Club that Xavier couldn't get out of Cerebro," replied Mystique. The group was interrupted when Wanda entered the library.

The Scarlet Witch was fuming. "We have a problem," she said curtly. "Rogue is here, and she's draining everyone in the mansion."

"What makes you say that?" asked Kurt sitting up straight.

Wanda rolled her eyes. "Three are down in the living room, three are down in the kitchen, and the Professor is out like a light in his study. She's here, but because this place is so fucking big, I haven't found her yet."

Mystique instantly got to her feet. "What can she possibly be up to by absorbing so many powers at one time?"

Her question went unanswered as a thud from up above filtered the silence of the library. Without speaking the group was running out of the library and up the stairs. Kitty gasped in surprise as she phased through Fred lying on the ground like a beached whale. Kurt and Mystique knelt down beside a couple of the students, taking note of the fact that they were all breathing, but simply unconscious for the time being.

Wanda on the other hand made her way down the hallway, stopping when she came across Philippa Sontag, Betsy, and Jason passed out on the floor. She had a feeling that Rogue had accomplished what she had come for. "We better see if Logan and Ororo are in the same condition too," stated the dark haired girl glumly. "I don't think Rogue's here anymore."

**A Building Downtown**

"Are you sure you want to do this, chère? You don't look so good," hissed Remy as they slipped inside a city building through an open window.

"Just two more, Remy, and then I'll call it a day."

"Almost daytime now," mumbled the Cajun glancing out at the dawn light peeking over the horizon. With a sigh he turned his attention back to Rogue and silently followed her down the hallway in search of the last two mutants they would have to deal with.

Rogue placed a finger on her lips and motioned to an open door where a bright light was spilling out. Inside a man could be heard talking on the phone.

"Yes sir, right away sir, I understand completely sir. Mr. Creed, you can trust me. I'm in charge of your campaign, remember? I've got everything under control." The man scowled as he hung up the phone. He was a tall, broad shouldered man with graying brown hair and green eyes. There was a small scar on his left cheekbone, indicating that he had seen the tides of battle before.

When the man's back was turned Rogue slipped into the office and placed a finger on his face. He slumped to the ground with a groan as Rogue backed out of the office, placing a hand on her head. A headache was beginning to form. Remy swiftly caught her, his eyes straying up to the name plate of the office door. Abraham Kieros.

"Come on, chère, just one more person to go," whispered Remy wrapping an arm around the southern girl's waist. Rogue nodded absently and the pair began to make their way down the hallway in search of another office.

This one belonged to one Autumn Rolfson, a young up and comer in the Food for the Poor charity sponsored by Graydon Creed. She had dark red hair cropped close to her head and bright blue eyes, but she looked sickly thin. The college aged girl was singing to herself, listening away at her iPod when Rogue slipped into the room and drained her.

"Oof." Remy fell to the ground as Rogue collapsed in her arms. Her forehead was tinged with sweat. Struggling onto his feet, Remy scooped Rogue into his arms and headed for the nearest exit.

Outside the building he leaned closer to Rogue's mouth to hear what she was saying. "We can't go back to the Hellfire Club, Remy…they can't see me like this…please…we…have to…" Rogue fell into unconsciousness as Remy shifted her in his arms.

"S'alright chère, I know where we can go," murmured the Cajun softly.

**Hours Later**

Rogue groaned in pain as Remy lowered her onto the bed. They were currently holing up in a small hotel room until Rogue could recover from the overexertion of her powers. The southern girl shivered as she reached for the covers on the bed, wrapping them around her body.

"I'm going to make that Apocalypse fellow pay for making me do all this," muttered Rogue as Remy sank down onto the side of the bed beside her. "Why couldn't he just have a damn key like everyone else to unlock him?"

Remy chuckled wryly. "I don't think they had keys back in ancient times, chère."

"Stupid cavemen." Rogue tightened the covers around her body and glanced at Remy cautiously. "Remy, I haven't borrowed your powers yet…and I'm going to have to borrow them before we go after Apocalypse."

"I know. I've been bracing myself for a draining. After watching everyone else go down today, I'm not exactly looking forward to it."

"What about me? Whoever said I wanted a Swamp Rat inside my head?" demanded Rogue, her green eyes flashing in anger.

Remy chuckled as he turned to face Rogue. "Well, fine then, chère, if I'm going down, then I'm going down in style."

Before Rogue could get a word in edgewise Remy leaned over and captured Rogue's lips with his own. Rogue stifled back an angry outburst as she felt her powers kick in. Several seconds later the pair were both unconscious on the bed.

**At The Same Time**

Phoenix paced back and forth in front of Sinister, her lips set in a thin line. "I don't trust her. She's up to something—and letting Apocalypse loose isn't part of it!"

"Unless you have something more than a _feeling _to go on, Phoenix, I am inclined to wait for Rogue to unleash Apocalypse. Besides, whoever said the girl would survive what it will take to set Apocalypse free? For all you know she'll be dead before our master even sets foot out of his tomb," said Sinister from his seat. He was still weary from the draining he had undergone hours ago. Everyone was. Emma's screams of outrage had woken the entire Club up.

"Then she better die letting our master loose, because I will kill her if she survives," vowed Phoenix darkly. "You don't understand how much of a threat that girl will be if she lives."

Sinister nodded in understanding. "I know all too well what type of threat she will pose should she live. You have my permission to kill her the moment Apocalypse has awaken."

Phoenix stopped pacing and turned her back on Sinister, an evil smile on her face. "Good. Now I think I will gather Sabertooth, Lady Deathstrike, and Mesmero. We have the Four Horsemen to catch."

**A/N: As of June 21, 2007, this chapter has been revised.**


	51. The End of Days

Disclaimer: Still doesn't belong to me

**Disclaimer: Still doesn't belong to me.**

**50-The End of Days**

"_**Now has come the time for the world to fear the one called Rogue."**_

_**-From Chapter 30-**_

Remy groaned as he slowly sat up with one hand holding the back of his head. He had a headache unlike anything he had ever experienced before. Wearily he glanced around the room, only to find Rogue seated in a chair by the window. In one hand she held a small object that he couldn't quite make out.

"What are you doing, chère?" he asked with a frown.

Rogue didn't look at him as she spoke. "Thinking."

"About what?"

"My past."

With a roll of his eyes Remy got up and walked over to the window, pulling another chair over to sit across from Rogue. He eyed the object in her hands, swiftly reaching for it and bringing it in front of his eyes. It was a beeper.

"When I first became a mutant I went with Mystique because I thought the X-Men were out to get me…I didn't want to be a part of Xavier's plan for peace. I never believed there was a chance mutants and humans could get along…and I never thought anyone could ever accept me with my powers. The X-Men still have a hard time accepting my powers…I guess it's too much for them to handle.

"Mystique didn't pressure me to work with the Brotherhood when I first got to Bayville…but somehow I ended up working for Magneto, searching for new recruits. Then he tried to kill me…and it was the X-Men who saved me. The group that I didn't trust saved my life…I never really thanked them because my life was so screwed up at that point. I tried to fit in, but I kept seeing them as the enemy…and I think they felt the same way, because it didn't take long before I went back to working for Magneto again.

"I don't think I fit in anywhere anymore. I skipped out on Magneto and worked with the X-Men when Stryker came to town…and I've been trying to settle in at the new mansion…but it all feels wrong. I'm not an X-Man, and that beeper proves it." Rogue eyed the beeper with unreadable eyes as Remy turned it around in his hands.

"I take it Mags gave this to you, chère?"

Rogue nodded. "I've never gotten rid of it. Magneto was pissed I didn't take up his fight during the Stryker deal and I guess you could say he kind of dropped me from his payroll. But it doesn't mean I ever became a part of the X-Men. I kept the beeper in hopes that Mags might need me again. I've made so many mistakes in my life that I don't think it'll be easy making it right again. Like this whole thing with Jean. It's my fault she's all crazy now. She wouldn't have given in to her anger if I hadn't pissed her off so many times. Now I'm going to try and make it right…and probably get myself killed in the process."

Remy sighed as he reached out for one of Rogue's hands, grasping it tightly and making sure not to come in contact with her fingertips. "You aren't a bad person, chère; maybe a little crazy, but not bad. So what if you're going to let loose the Apocalypse? You're going to kill him too, remember? And you're going to try and get rid of the crazy bird lady and bring back the red head…that doesn't make us part of the X-Men does it? Because if it does, chère, I'm out of here. I didn't sign up for their side. I barely signed up for old Bucket Head's side."

"Then whose side are you on, Swamp Rat?" demanded Rogue with narrowed eyes.

"Your side, so long as it's the winning side, chérie. So you better win today, or else we can't get married, you hear?" retorted Remy with a grin.

Rogue's face darkened, but then she smiled in amusement. "I don't know why I even put up with you, you crazy Cajun."

"It's because you can't resist the Cajun charm, chère. You and me, we're going to be very happy together."

"We aren't ever going to be together."

Remy chuckled. "But we already kissed…its one step closer to the altar."

"When did I ever agree to marry you, Swamp Rat?" Rogue crossed her arms and studied Remy suspiciously.

"Well I haven't asked you yet…I don't have a ring yet, and I'm not getting married without a ring, so you're just going to have to be patient."

"You do know that both of my parents will probably kill you for even thinking about asking me, don't you?"

"Who says they're going to know about it? It's called eloping, chère. We elope and no one is ever the wiser."

"Do you even remember who my father is?"

Remy shrugged. "So the big bad wolf attacks me…he'll be happy to know we're married after he finds out we've been sharing the same room for a couple of days now. It's your call, chère. I only live to serve you."

"Remind me to push you off the first cliff I find today," muttered Rogue.

"That's the spirit. Now, let's go find our good friend, old Black and Grey and the crazy bird and let out that Apocalypse fellow. I've been itching for a real battle instead of rescuing your scrawny ass every day." Remy got to his feet and held out a hand towards Rogue, stuffing the beeper inside his trench coat. Rogue grumbled, but complied. She had all day to think up a fitting death for the Cajun.

**The Hellfire Club**

Emma glanced up from the map in front of her as Rogue and Remy entered the small study. The blonde woman gritted her teeth as Selene and Sebastian congratulated the southern belle for returning in one piece; one sane piece. The Black Queen and King had been half afraid Rogue would return to wipe them out since every time she absorbed another person she lost control of her mind.

"What, you don't want to shake my hand, blondie? And here I thought the two of us were getting to be such good friends," murmured Rogue coming to stand on the opposite end of the desk as Emma.

"I'd rather eat vomit," muttered Emma darkly. Rogue snorted and turned away to return to Remy's side. The pair took seats on a love seat, Emma's eyes never leaving them. She watched as Remy lit a cigarette only to have it whisked out of his mouth by Rogue.

Sebastian cleared his throat, gaining the attention of the two Queens, Sinister, Rogue and Remy. "Mesmero has been hard at work gaining control of the minds of the Four Horsemen, but fairly soon they should be at our beck and call. Then we will be able to go to Egypt where the Tomb of Apocalypse lies and set him free."

Sinister nodded in agreement. "Phoenix, Rogue, Gambit, Sabertooth, Lady Deathstrike, Destiny, Juggernaut, Black Tom, the Black King and Queen, the White Queen, Mesmero, and I with accompany the Four Horsemen to Egypt. The Hellions will wait here with King Bedlam. However, we will have three more join our venture. Viper, Captain Britain, and Sage will all be coming along to ensure nothing gets in our way of letting Apocalypse out of his chamber."

The three new mutants in question appeared in the doorway, entering to stand in a straight line in front of the others already in the study. Rogue took note of the fact that all three seemed under a trance, one probably brought about by contact with Mesmero.

Viper was a well built, slender woman wearing a green body suit. Her long black hair had a green tint to it, matching her green eyes. Around her waist was a belt covered with small throwing darts.

Captain Britain was a tall and muscular man wearing a red, white, and blue uniform that resembled the British flag. His eyes were dark, and were somewhat familiar to Rogue. She couldn't quite place where she had seen him before when he pulled off his mask, revealing dark hair. He looked an awful lot like Psylocke.

The third mutant, Sage, had chin length black hair and brown eyes. She was dressed in all black and quickly slipped on a pair of dark sunglasses to cover her eyes. Her lips were painted a dark red color, giving her a deadly serious look.

Entering behind the three newcomers was Mesmero. "The Four Horsemen await us outside," murmured the evil mutant quietly. The room began to empty, leaving only Rogue and Remy behind.

"You don't want to go see the horsie people, chérie?"

Rogue pursed her lips thoughtfully. "How many mutants does it take to unlock the Apocalypse?"

"Is this a trick question?"

"I think the others are afraid I won't keep my end of the bargain—or if I do I'll turn on them and try to kill them. This whole letting Apoca-whatever-his-name-is free business is turning out to be fun, Swamp Rat. Come on, we better go check out the four horses before Phoenix calls me a traitor again."

Remy snorted. "You're one scary fille, you know that?"

"And here I thought you wanted to marry me, sugar."

"Oh we're getting married alright, chère, but just as soon as you complete some therapy time."

Outside, Rogue and Remy stopped in the doorway to inspect the Four Horsemen. The Morlock Plague, Warren, Abraham, and Autumn were all standing stock still as the leaders of the Hellfire Club inspected them carefully. Now they were simply known by the monikers of Pestilence, Death, War, and Famine respectively. They were Apocalypse's army.

**Westchester Army Base:**

"Trask! You're sure about this, aren't you?" demanded a man with gray hair and a patch over one eye.

"General Fury, you have nothing to worry about. These Sentinels come with the latest designs. The first ten destroyed in battle against the mutants were nothing more than test subjects. They didn't have the armory that these latest ones have. _These _will capture mutants just like you wanted." Dr. Trask assured the angry General to the best of his abilities. He didn't know how many different ways there were to say that the new copy of the Sentinels were built with the latest most latent technology on the planet.

Fury snorted. "Just as long as they don't become shit when the mutants go up against them. You forget that three of Weapon X have been working together to outrun S.H.I.E.L.D…and that the Hydra project is now missing its own little robot. _And _that there are rumors of a mutant uprising going on as we speak. We've got three mutant groups to be on the lookout for. Xavier and his bunch, Lensherr and his gang, and now the Hellfire Club have been ousted as mutants themselves. All I want to do is round them up and then lock them up where they belong."

"We don't have the authority to lock them up yet, Nick. We're only being asked to bring them in for questioning."

"They're mutants. They're all guilty of something."

**Elsewhere:**

"I need something good that will make voters want me as their senator," growled Graydon as he paced back and forth in his office. "What the hell are those muties doing just sitting around? They should be out causing hell so I can win more voters!"

"Yes sir," murmured the acne faced aid, writing on a clipboard.

"And what the hell happened to Kieros and Rolfson? I needed them today—where are they?"

"Uh…we're still looking into that, sir."

"Dammit. A war veteran and a college kid both went missing while working on my campaign. The press is gonna turn this shit against me." Graydon cursed under his breath, pausing in his pacing to glance out the window. "See if you can hunt down a mutant or two and get them riled up. If there's an uprising on the streets we'll be winners come election time this fall."

"Yes, sir. Right away, sir."

**The X-Mansion:**

"Did you find any sign of them?" asked Logan as Xavier rolled himself out of Cerebro.

"I could only find a sign of Gambit. They're moving…and I believe they're headed straight towards Egypt. That is where the tomb of Apocalypse is rumored to be hidden," replied Xavier.

Ororo chewed on her bottom lip with a worried look on her face. "So what do we do?"

Xavier sighed. "There is only one thing we can do in a time like this. We must go to Egypt and stop them."

Magneto nodded in agreement, exchanging a glance with Mystique. "The Brotherhood has its own means of transportation, my old friend. I believe we are going to need all of the students to put a stop to the prophecies."

"Yes…everyone will be needed in this battle." Xavier looked at Ororo and Logan with a pained expression on his face.

"But all of us? Even the children?" Ororo shook her head. "They aren't ready."

"If they aren't ready now they never will be," remarked Logan gruffly. "Jean and Rogue need our help. Warren needs our help."

"Not just Warren," came another voice. The small group glanced down the corridor to see Evan standing there with Callisto and Caliban at his side. "They took one of the Morlocks too."

Callisto eyed the adults cautiously as she pulled her hair up into a ponytail. "The one called Rogue has much to answer for. Stopping the prophecies is one thing…but letting loose the Apocalypse is quite another."

"Fear is only the beginning," added Caliban softly.

Logan opened his mouth to speak, but his words were drowned out by the soft footfall of another. Glancing behind him he came face to face with Laura, X-23.

"I want to help."

"Does everyone want to go play with the bad guys?" grumbled Logan throwing his hands into the air. "Jesus-fucking-Christ, it's like this is some kind of game."

"In some minds," murmured Caliban, "it is a game unlike any other. Only the worthy will survive."

"And who decides who the worthy ones are?" snapped Mystique crossing her arms.

"Fate."

"Then it is settled," said Xavier. "We had better go now…I fear we don't have much time left."

**Egypt—Apocalypse's Tomb:**

They stood in two straight lines facing the dark opening leading inside of the tomb. Sinister was in the middle with Phoenix, Emma, Sebastian, Selene, Sabertooth, Captain Britain and Juggernaut on his left, and Rogue, Gambit, Lady Deathstrike, Black Tom, Viper, Sage, and Destiny on his right; behind them stood Mesmero with Death and War on his right, and Pestilence and Famine on his left. No one spoke a word.

With a simple nod from Sinister, Rogue stepped forward, extending her hands into the air. Gritting her teeth Rogue quickly brought her hands together in a single clap. The air around the group of mutants seemed to explode, wind picking up dust as the ground beneath the pyramid rumbled. As soon as the wind had died away, Rogue stepped inside the pyramid with the rest of the group right behind her.

Inside the pyramid the air was cool and damp. Rogue walked forward without a backwards glance. She knew where to go without having to ask. It was as though she had always known. Her head no longer ached…the voices that had once bothered her were gone. Rogue was in complete control now that she was getting closer to Apocalypse's tomb.

The first door they came across was a single stone slab covered with intricate markings of the days of old. Rogue walked up to the door, her arm becoming pure metal. With ease she slammed a fist into the slab, watching in satisfaction as it crumbled into a million pieces. Her arm returned to normal and Rogue stepped over the broken stone pieces to walk further into the crypt.

The second door was made of a sturdier and darker stone material. This time Rogue brought a purple psychic blade into view. She gripped the blade in both hands, lunging towards the door, bringing the blade into direct contact with the stone. It sliced through the stone, but the door still wouldn't budge. Without bringing the blade out of the stone Rogue focused her attention on the blade. Magma began to pour out of the stone until it had melted away. The blade vanished as Rogue stepped through the new hole in the door.

She came to a halt outside the third door. The final door; this was the door that would set Apocalypse free. Rogue studied the double stone doorway with a thoughtful look before noticing a single slab sitting directly to one side of it. As she neared it Rogue knew this was the only way to open the door. This would be how she set Apocalypse free. Rogue pulled off her glove and gingerly reached towards the slab.

"Stop!" Phoenix's voice cut through the air like a knife.

"What the hell are you doing?" demanded Sinister turning to glare at the red head.

Phoenix, however, only had eyes for Rogue. "You will die by my hands today. _You will not defeat me!_"

Rogue tore her hand away from the stone slab, dropping to the ground before Phoenix could blast her away using her powers. Pushing herself back to her feet, Rogue could feel the anger inside of her letting loose. The months of being used by her own mother and Magneto, the feeling of the lack of trust she had received with the X-Men, the hurt of both Lance and Bobby for cheating on her, the pain of seeing Scott turning his back on her, the anger she had felt at the human race in general for fearing mutants—all of it came rushing forward in Rogue's mind, taking control.

Floating into the air, Rogue regarded Phoenix with a tilt of her head. "Fear me for I am more than you will ever be." Her voice had an odd ring to it, her accent gone as she spoke. "You cannot hope to defeat me. None can ever defeat me."

"Thy doom awaits thee." Phoenix's body began to glow a red color as she too flew into the air to be eye level with Rogue. The two mutants eyed one another carefully, and then as one, lunged straight for the other.

"What the hell was that?" shouted Wolverine as he fell in the sand. The ground beneath them had begun to shake, toppling the X-Men and Brotherhood rolling down the sand dunes to land at the base of Apocalypse's tomb.

"Whatever it is it means trouble!" shot back Mystique scrambling to her feet. "We have to hurry!"

Together the two groups raced inside the pyramid, trying hard not to fall with each rumble as they passed through the first doorway. It was the second doorway that made them stop, though. Coming through the melted hole in the door was a bright light that made many of the younger mutants shield their eyes.

Cyclops moved through the doorway first. "Jean!"

In the air, high above the temple floor, Rogue and Phoenix were locked together in a fierce battle. Phoenix was shielding herself from a series of attacks by Rogue, who seemed to be using every power she had ever drained. As the last of her newfound powers subsided, Phoenix let down her shield as a red ball of fire formed in one of her hands.

"The power is mine!" she shrieked, sending the ball flying towards Rogue.

"You don't know what power is!" cried back Rogue as the flaming ball phased right through her. Phoenix ground her teeth together, flying straight towards Rogue, intent on grabbing the southerner's throat with fiery hands. Rogue had other ideas. She too flew directly towards Phoenix, her gloveless hands outstretched as far as they would go.

The two girls hurtled into each other, each grabbing the other's throat. Rogue let out a strangled cry as she felt her powers of absorption take control. Phoenix's eyes widened and a red glow began to form directly behind her in the form of a large fiery bird. Rogue saw the bird out of the corner of her eye and only tightened her grip on Phoenix's flesh.

"You will not win," hissed Phoenix as the fiery bird rose directly above them, a black shadow beginning to tinge its red color. "I am as powerful as they come."

"Yeah, but I'm as dangerous as they come," replied Rogue through gritted teeth. "And if I die, you're going down with me, sugar."

"I will not die!" Phoenix's cry echoed throughout the temple, sending the fiery bird above her in a wild frenzy. The fiery image shrieked an ear piercing sound as it flew around the room in control, until it was eventually hurtling itself straight towards the third doorway.

A loud cracking sound could be heard across the globe, striking fear into the hearts of humans and mutants alike. The skies began to darken as clouds settled in, a fierce wind ravaging the planet. Inside the temple of Apocalypse the wind seemed to be blowing straight through the third and final doorway.

The mutants on the ground all reached for something to keep themselves from being sucked into the black hole, but Rogue and Phoenix were not so lucky. The heavy wind blew them straight into the darkness, dying away completely the moment they were out of sight.

The tomb became deathly quiet as the mutants stood on their feet. Their attention was focused on the open doorway, but nothing could be seen or heard. Minutes went by.

Then there was the sound of a footstep, and another. It soon turned into the sound of two footsteps headed towards the opening. Phoenix emerged first, her eyes downcast; Rogue was right behind her, walking in the same manner. Their movements seemed almost mechanical, and when they looked up it was evident why. Both their eyes were clouded over. No longer were they blue and green; they were simply a dark black color.

"Chère, is that you?" asked Gambit cautiously as he slowly made his way over towards the southern belle. Rogue didn't answer.

"Jean?" called out Cyclops with a worried tone. "Or is it Phoenix?"

Still there was no answer. Just as Cyclops was about to move from his spot a giant rumbling shook the temple, knocking everyone but Rogue and Phoenix to the ground. A heavy thud was heard from the darkness beyond the doorway. And then a figure appeared.

He was tall and muscular and his body shone with such a bright light that his figures were close to undistinguishable. But there was no denying who he was. This was Apocalypse.

When he spoke, the pyramid shook, and pieces of stone fell to the ground, barely missing the mutants huddled together in small groups. "Only the worthy will stand by my side." He shot a single hand before him, sending the glow from his body outwards, bathing the entire room and everyone in it with light.

The light soon subsided, leaving many of the mutants lightheaded. Looking around they began to see the ramifications the glow had had on a small portion of the room. Gambit, Lady Deathstrike, Sabertooth, Juggernaut, Angel, Plague, Autumn, and Abraham had dark eyes that matched those of Phoenix and Rogue.

"Together we will stand against the world and put a stop to all those who seek to destroy our kind!"

Emma glanced around wildly. "Why not us?" she hissed at Sinister. "We're the fucking Hellfire Club! Why aren't we worthy?"

"How the hell should I know?" shot back Sinister looking up at Apocalypse and the small group he now controlled.

"You promised us we would have eternal glory if we helped you set Apocalypse free!" screeched Emma. "What makes them better than me?"

"They are the susceptible ones. Their minds are easily controlled," said Mesmero sharply. "Apocalypse will only employ those who can be manipulated to complete his every desire on Earth. They are the ones who will die in the end—_we_ on the other hand will not die. We will live to see mutants take over the planet."

"What the hell do we do now?" asked the Scarlet Witch glancing over at Magneto and Professor Xavier.

Caliban was the one who answered. "There is nothing we can do. The only two who can stand a chance against Apocalypse are Rogue and Phoenix…and they are now his puppets. I am afraid the end of days has arrived at long last."

**A/N: As of June 12, 2007, Chapter 50 has been revised.**


	52. Hell on Earth

Disclaimer: None of this belongs to me

**Disclaimer: None of this belongs to me.**

**51-Hell On Earth**

**-Two Years Later-**

**Washington, D.C.:**

"It is an honor to be the Republican Party candidate for President of the United States of America. Once elected I will make the mutant problem go away. Humans should not live in fear. We shouldn't be distrustful of our neighbors. There is no chance for peace as long as mutants are free to roam the fair streets of our country. Homo sapiens are the superior species—and yet we must be on guard _every_ moment of _every_ hour of _every_ day, just in case a mutant dares to attack us. We are not free. We are prisoners in our own homes. _Mutants _have made us prisoners!

"And to top that off our very existence is being threatened by the mutant called Apocalypse. Imprisoned for over a millennia, he was set free to reign in terror over the planet. And who set him free? A mutant. They have been planning and plotting to destroy the human race for decades, and now—now they just might get their chance.

"Mutants are an abomination. They are not blessed by God Almighty—they are the devil's servants out to take away our very way of life. Mutants are why our world is at war. There can never be peace so long as mutants thrive. In our country alone there is a civil war brewing. Yes, a civil war.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we cannot deny what is happening in the United States of America. We cannot hide the truth. But our current President of the United States, President McKenna, would have you believe that mutants want to coexist with us as equals. But we are not equal. They have _powers_ that make them dangerous.

"Mutants can set you on fire if you make them angry. They can read your minds, and if they so choose they can rewrite your very thoughts. They can walk through walls, they can multiply at will, they can run like the speed of light…there's even one who can steal your very life with a single touch. That's cold blooded murder. Then there's invasion of privacy, grand theft, assault, rape, kidnapping, you name it and they can do it.

"No, we cannot live peacefully, side by side, with mutants. We never will. Never before have we been forced to sit and watch as murderers were pardoned. _Mutants_ killed Senator Edward Kelly Sr. _Mutants _killed Colonel William Stryker. There were two of the finest men in America and now they are both six feet under at the hands of mutant terrorists. Our country hasn't faced a threat of this magnitude since nine-eleven. Mutants are killing men and women who dare to stand up against them. Well I won't sit idly by and watch as mutants murder any more innocent people! I intend to put a stop to the mutant problem!

"Once I become your president I will round up each and every mutant and lock them up behind bars! No mutant will roam free again! They will be branded and shipped off to a mutant camp, never to interact with us on a daily basis ever again. Mutants will become extinct when I become your president—because I will not let them take away my civil liberties. The question is will _you _let them take away _your _freedom?"

Senator Graydon Creed stepped back from the podium, his lips twitching with a grin as the crowd of tens of thousands of spectators erupted into cheers. He glanced at the man beside him, sharing a triumphant look.

Edward Kelly Jr. inclined his head approvingly. "I think we just won the presidency."

"It's about damn time something went right," growled Graydon as he plastered a grin on his face and began to wave at the crowd.

"You're telling me. General Fury wants to speak to us. He's still complaining about Weapon X."

"What, the sentinels can't round up his perfect creations?" Graydon chuckled.

"Apparently the mutants in question are proving more talented than he had originally thought," said Kelly. "As it is, none of the mutants determined to be threats to national security have been caught. Only weaklings and would-be innocents have been taken in for questioning."

"Are any of them talking?"

Kelly snorted. "None of them know anything worth hearing about and if they do they're more afraid of the Big Three than us."

"The Big Three?" Graydon turned to glance at his friend and running mate with an incredulous look on his face.

"Apocalypse, Phoenix, and the Rogue."

"God, I can't wait to get my hands on them and tear them to pieces. Three mutants…three mutants have turned the world upside down, and for what? Because all fucking three of them are terminally insane."

"And that alone makes them deadlier than the others we're after."

Graydon nodded shortly as he and Kelly turned to walk off the stage. "Speaking of which, how are we doing catching them—the others?"

"Neither the X-Men nor the Brotherhood have lost any members. Even the Hellfire Club and their Hellions have proved their ability in escaping S.H.I.E.L.D. clutches."

"And no luck with Apocalypse and his minions either I take it?"

"Anyone sent after them has yet to be heard from."

**Westchester Army Base:**

A lone guard walked the perimeter of the brick building with his heavy boots crunching over the gravel. The night was still, not even a light breeze stirred. Shifting his rifle from one arm to the other the soldier continued along his path, disappearing around the corner of the building to circle it one more time.

From the shadows four figures emerged on silent feet. Mystique changed forms from her original blue body to that of the guard that had just circled the area. She looked around cautiously before motioning for the three others to follow her over to the door that led inside the building.

Shadowcat quickly phased through the door, opening it up from the other side. She ushered the group inside, tucking a strand of her chin length hair behind her ear. Wolverine sniffed the air before moving down the hallway with the rest of the group hot on his heels. Three quarters of the way down the hall he held up his hand, pointing a single gloved finger at a door on his right.

The door was unlocked.

"Remember, look for anything that can give us a clue as to what Trask is working on next," whispered Storm as she gently closed the door behind her.

Shifting back into her own form Mystique made her way over to the desk and computer as Shadowcat pulled open a nearby file cabinet. Storm searched the small closet as Wolverine positioned himself at the door; his ear listening for anyone headed their way.

"Here's a list of mutants wanted by S.H.I.E.L.D.," murmured Mystique. "It looks like Weapon X wasn't the only project created."

"I've got the sentinel designs…Jesus, they're really packing some serious ammo now." Shadowcat glanced over at Storm with fear in her eyes. "It's going to take more than a miracle to destroy them."

"Well I've got a briefcase full of names of Trask's fellow co-workers. I don't know how recent it is since William Stryker is still listed on here," said Storm as she shut the closet door. "But it could prove useful in the future. This will help us identify potential hazards and watch them to see what moves they make in the coming years. It's bad enough it's an election year—we have our hands full doing damage control with Creed in the lime light."

Wolverine snorted, turning his attention away from the door. "We're about to have company," he stated.

The group tensed, waiting for the inevitable. The door swung open and in walked Dr. Trask. All five froze as they glanced at one another in complete surprise.

"I think now would be the time to run," murmured Shadowcat under her breath.

"How dare you…how _dare_ you!" Trask's voice rose as he backed away. "Intrud—" His words were cut off as Wolverine clamped a hand around the doctor's throat.

"Not today, bub, but thanks for letting us use your office. We learned a lot about you and your work. I think it might come in handy," said Wolverine in a low growl.

Mystique rolled her eyes as she shifted into Dr. Trask. "Just knock him out and let's get out of here."

"That's easy for you to say, you ain't the one doing the knocking out."

"Pretend he's Gambit and you just found out he asked Rogue to marry him or something," suggested Shadowcat with a hint of a smile on her lips. That did the trick. Minutes later the phony Dr. Trask was leading Wolverine, Storm, and Shadowcat back the way they had come, leaving the real Dr. Trask unconscious on the floor of his office.

"If that sonofabitch lays a finger on my daughter I'm gonna rip his head off," vowed Wolverine darkly, still seething over the Gambit remark.

Storm and Mystique/Dr. Trask exchanged knowing looks as they reached the doorway. When Storm spoke it was to Shadowcat. "Do you have everything we found today?"

"Yep, not let's get outta here," answered Shadowcat shortly. She glanced behind her nervously. It was far too quiet for a military base.

Muttering under his breath about Cajuns and children, Wolverine reached out to open the door when it suddenly swung open of its own accord.

"Please tell me I'm not imagining things," murmured Shadowcat blinking her eyes as she studied the figure starting back at them. In the doorway stood Dr. Bolivar Trask.

"Is this somebody's idea of a sick joke?" Wolverine narrowed his eyes at the third Dr. Trask of the evening, waiting for an explanation.

Dr. Trask grinned. "I take it you guys already beat me to the office, huh?"

"Who the hell are you?" snapped Mystique as she shifted back into her blue form.

"Oh, right. Sorry about that." Dr. Trask chuckled in a nervous manner, eyeing Wolverine's claws with avid distrust. Shifting from one foot to the other the so-called Dr. Trask began to shift forms as well. When the last traces of the doctor-scientist were gone an average sized man with brown hair, hazel eyes, and a gaunt looking face stood before the small group.

"He's a shape shifter," stated Storm in surprise.

"We can all see that, darlin', now let's get the hell outta here before the real doc wakes up and sounds the alarm. We can ask this bozo questions later." Without waiting for a reply Wolverine grabbed the male shape shifter by the arm and pushed him back outside with the ladies right behind him. As silent as the night the group melted back into the shadows.

Several minutes later they were off the base and back at their SUV. Wolverine pushed the male shape shifter into the side of the vehicle, watching in satisfaction as the man groaned in pain.

"Alright," started Mystique coldly, "who are you, who do you work for and what do you want?"

"They call me Morph and I'm here looking for some clues on what Trask has been working on. S.H.I.E.L.D. has been too fuckin' quiet for the liking of mutants everywhere. With the whole election coming up and the Apocalypse thing, mutants are scared as hell. They wanna know what's next, what do they need to be on the lookout for?" Morph shrugged as he rubbed his shoulder gingerly. "As to who I work for, well, no one really. I'm a free agent type of guy. I work for whoever wants to pay my bills. This time around some guy came up to me and asked me to do him a favor. After he told me what it was I was in. I ain't a big fan of the government, so any chance to get one step ahead of them is fine by me."

Storm frowned. "This man, what did he look like?"

Shuddering, Morph said, "This guy had red eyes like the devil. Had a girl with him, pretty gal too—but let me tell you, she wasn't the friendly type. I almost felt like I didn't have a choice in the matter. I thought she'd kill me if I said no."

"Rogue? Why would she be asking another mutant to do something she could easily do herself?" questioned Shadowcat. "It doesn't make sense."

"It doesn't have to make sense. Rogue isn't in control of herself. She hasn't been for the last two years," replied Mystique.

Wolverine shook his head. "No, the half pint's right. Rogue could waltz right in here and get what she wanted without a problem. No, she's up to something. By using another mutant she's showing a new hand."

Mystique was thoughtful for a moment. "Power. Rogue is showing that she has the power to start her own faction of mutants. If she asked Morph here to do something for her, and Gambit was with her, then it means she's more than one of Apocalypse's underlings. She's breaking away."

"But to what purpose? Is she regaining control of her mind, or is she succumbing to evil's desire to try and overthrow Apocalypse?" asked Storm softly.

"Either way follows the hand of fate. Rogue is destined to destroy Apocalypse."

Morph made a face as he tried to follow the conversation. "Am I still getting paid?"

Wolverine looked over at the mutant with a snide smirk on his face. "Oh you're getting paid alright. A couple of DR sessions and you'll be all taken care of…for life."

"Really?" Morph brightened. "These DR sessions, what are they?"

"The next big thing to gold."

"Oh, then I can't wait."

"Neither can I, bub."

**Xavier's Mansion:**

"Crap! They're still coming!" cried out Havok turning to glance at his brother. "They must have figured out Wolverine and them went for a visit!"

Cyclops grunted. "I'm not surprised. Wolverine always likes to leave a calling card these days. Alright, guys, you know the drill—shoot the sentinels outta commission, but remember, we've gotta do this as a team. No heroics, got it?"

Quicksilver grinned at the dark look sent his way. "Oh, yeah, right, got it. This time if one of the girls gets herself in a jam I'll just leave her there."

"I think you missed the whole point, Speedy," chuckled Boom-Boom as she and Avalanche joined the white haired man. "Cyke just doesn't want you to get caught again either. It's not as romantic saving your scrawny ass from the giant tin cans."

"If you ask me Summers should just let the fuckers have you. You're nothing but a pain in the ass," added Avalanche as he balled his hands into fists.

"Remind me to step on your birthday gift if I ever get around to buying you one," muttered Quicksilver before speeding off towards an oncoming sentinel. Avalanche and Boom-Boom exchanged shrugs before they too ran after their friend to destroy the robot.

Nearby, Bezerker, Cannonball, Toad, and Blob were busy trying to prevent one of the sentinels from crashing through the front gate.

"Jesus," gasped Bezerker wiping sweat off his brow, "would it kill S.H.I.E.L.D. to leave us alone and go after Apocalypse instead? The guy wakes up and begins terrorizing the world, and who do the sentinels go after? Us."

"Rogue probably scared the shit outta 'em last time they tried to kill her," replied Toad taking a three second breather.

Cannonball snorted. "If you ask me I think Phoenix is scarier outta the two of them. Her whole face looks distorted like she's some kinda demon."

"Maybe she is," suggested Blob. The four males dived away just as a sentinel shot a laser beam in their direction.

"Oh man, we're in for it now," groaned Husk as she scrambled back to her fee. Her skin was as hard as rock and felt gravely to the touch.

Psylocke nodded as she took out her purple psyche sword. "I'm beginning to think that S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn't give a damn about anyone or anything but Weapon X and their little clone."

"You'd think they'd get tired of running after me all this time," agreed X-23 as she slashed at the foot of a sentinel.

Pyro chuckled. "Sure thing, Sheila, and next thing you know they'll be wanting to give ole Wolfman a reprieve too."

"Less talk, more destroying would be nice!" called out Magik as she ran past the group, making them jump back into the action.

"Mein gott, I'm ready for a nap," sighed Nightcrawler as he appeared out of thin air beside Forge and Mirage.

Mirage nodded in agreement. "I think we all are. We've been battling for over half the day now."

"Well," murmured Forge standing up from the machine gun sprinkler he had been tinkering with, "maybe this will scare 'em off for a while." He pressed a button and the three mutants jumped back as the machine gun opened fire on the sentinels.

"It's about damn time," growled Scarlet Witch landing beside the trio. Colossus nodded in agreement as he and Multiple joined the group.

"Plug your ears!" cried out Multiple glancing over at Siren who was opening her mouth. Beside her Banshee was doing the same thing. Every mutant placed their fingers in their ears as two high pitched sonic cries screeched through the air. One by one the sentinels began to break apart and topple to the ground until none were left standing.

Beast grinned as Forge stopped the machine gun. "Well, that was an interesting feat."

"Aye, I think those shrieks cleared my ears," grumbled Wolfsbane as she returned to her human form.

Iceman chuckled. "All that really matters is that the tin cans are down and out for the count."

"Do they know that?" asked Jubilee pointing over at a metal arm that was twitching despite being attached to nothing.

"I believe that would be my doing," replied Magneto floating down to the ground. To prove his point he lifted a single hand into the air, moving the metal arm so that Professor Xavier could roll by in his wheelchair with Dazzler right behind him.

Arclight nodded approvingly as she glanced around the mansion grounds. "It's nice to know the robots don't think for themselves, otherwise they'd be pretty damn pissed right about now."

Professor Xavier smiled as he glanced around at the mutants with smudges of dirt on their uniforms and faces. "Congratulations on a job well done. I think you are getting better day by day."

"Yeah," chimed in Daytripper, "this time it only took us _half _a day to defeat the sentinels."

**Washington, D.C.:**

Graydon set down his glass and leaned back in his chair. Loosening his tie he was beginning to relax when a sound made him sit up straight again. He gulped as the curtains of his office window fluttered in the wind. The window was open and he had not opened it.

"Who's there?" he asked hesitantly.

"The tooth fairy," growled Sabertooth as he came through the window.

Graydon blanched at the sight of his father. "What are you doing here? What do you want?"

"I just came to give you a warning. You're causing chaos in the streets with your speeches. Mutants don't like what you're saying," said Sabertooth in a low voice.

"They aren't supposed to like what I say. I'm not on their side."

"Do they know your family is full of mutants?"

"I was adopted. They don't need to know anything if I don't look like I want to know anything. Not once have I shown an interest in the parents who gave me up at birth. You're terrorists, both of you. I will have nothing to do with either one of you!" Graydon's voice rose with anger.

Sabertooth snorted derisively. "Your mother has two other kids. Both of them are mutants. One of them is the one called Rogue. If you piss her off you know she'll turn around and kill you. That one has no qualms about killing insects who get in her way."

"I thought she worked for Apocalypse."

"She thinks Apocalypse is slowing her down. It's only a matter of time before she gets rid of him and takes over the world for herself."

"I doubt she has any idea who I am," shot back Graydon darkly.

"Oh no, she knows exactly who you are, and she's watching you. Me, I don't know who to fear more, Rogue, Apocalypse, or the Phoenix, but you, you take one wrong step and the Rogue will drive a knife straight through your heart." Sabertooth chuckled darkly at the thought, making Graydon swallow vile beginning to rise in his throat.

"Get out," ordered the shaken senator. "Get out!"

Sabertooth grinned maliciously and turned to go back through the window when a gunshot rang out. The tawny haired beast clutched his shoulder and fell to the ground with a yowl of pain. Graydon clutched the edge of his desk as S.H.I.E.L.D. soldiers burst into the room.

General Fury entered last and watched in satisfaction as the soldiers shot Sabertooth with a tranquilizer and then tied him up. The general then turned to Graydon. "We've been following him all day. One down, only three more to go."

"What are you going to do with him?" questioned Graydon wearily.

"Question him…and after that, well, it all depends on how much he values his life."

**Westchester Army Base, Two Hours Later:**

Sabertooth let out a feral growl as he tried to move his wrists from the metal cuffs holding him down to the chair. No matter how hard he yanked, he couldn't break from his bonds.

"I believe in time you will come to appreciate the wonders of adamantium," stated Fury as he entered the cell.

"Fuck you."

"My, what a temper you've got. It's a wonder Stryker was ever able to control you at one time."

"Let me go."

"Not until you answer a few questions for me."

"Go to hell."

"How can we destroy Apocalypse, Phoenix, and the Rogue?"

"How would I know?"

"You work for them, don't you?"

"My loyalties lie with only one."

"Who?"

"Only one."

Fury gritted his teeth in anger. "Answer the goddamn question!"

"Does it really matter who I work for? All three of them are dangerous. All three will kill you."

"Why did you go talk with Senator Creed?"

"Ask him."

"He says you threatened him."

"Not me. My boss."

"The Rogue then? The good senator said you mentioned her."

Sabertooth grinned. "She hates all humans."

"I understand she has the ability to absorb the powers of mutants. Is this true?"

"That's only one of her gifts."

"She has more? Remarkable. She seems to be a much talked about mutant these days. I wonder why."

"For someone who worked with Stryker you sure ain't very smart."

"Uh-huh."

"The Rogue is a product of Weapon X."

"That's a lie. There's nothing about her in the files."

Sabertooth's smirk widened. "But I bet you have volumes about her father. The Rogue is a result of the procreation of the mutants Wolverine and Mystique. So, all in all, that little girl is part of Weapon X. She ain't no clone like your other one."

"Clone? What clone?" Fury shook his head and mulled over the latest piece of information. "So Wolverine has another daughter. One we didn't even know about. Interesting. That could prove very useful in the future."

"Only if you can catch her…and no one's been able to do that yet."

"We'll see about that."

Sabertooth snorted. "Well while you're at it why don't you look up the good senator's family tree. That's pretty interesting as well."

**The Hellions Base:**

"I don't see why we can't go out and fight too," muttered Carol as she plopped onto the sofa in the living room. Jay looked up from his book but didn't say anything. For the past two years he had listened to Carol's complaints on the lack of interaction with Apocalypse and his minions, or, to be more exact, with Rogue. Oddly enough Carol's complaints seemed exactly similar to Emma's.

"You still aren't strong enough to go up against her," stated Jay in his soft country twang.

Carol frowned. "One day I will be," she said as she rubbed her forehead, indicating the onslaught of another headache. Jay nodded in agreement, watching her carefully. He had a sinking suspicion that Carol was still not in control of her mind—she never had been, not even when she had first arrived to work with the Hellions. None of them were. Each Hellion was under the direct control of either Emma Frost or Selene.

"Still whining?" asked Lorna as she entered the room.

"Bug off," snapped Carol testily. The two girls eyed each other before bursting into giggles.

Jay rolled his eyes. "I'm glad y'all can find _some _humor in bleak times."

This set the two females off into gales of laughter that didn't taper off even when Amara and Roberto entered the room.

"What's going on?" asked Amara eyeing Lorna and Carol warily.

"They're losing their minds," replied Jay.

"Who isn't in this place?" grumbled Roberto as he and Amara took seats on the love seat.

Carol stopped laughing. "Are you guys still going on and on about us all being zombies? Come on, don't you think it's getting old? We aren't zombies. No one's in control of our minds but us."

Lorna frowned. "How can you be so sure of that?"

"What makes _you _so sure that you mind_ is_ being controlled?" countered Carol.

"Not everyone's minds are being controlled, but a good majority of us our here against our wills," replied Amara.

"What do you know? You followed your boyfriend here! Think what you want, but I know for a fact that I am in control of my mind." With that Carol stood up and walked towards the door.

Jay's words stopped her in her tracks. "If you _are _in control of your mind then how can you explain the intense hatred you feel for Rogue? You knew nothing about her and then one day you just…hated her and everything about her. You went out of your way to make her an enemy. Why?"

For a brief moment clarity swept through Carol's eyes, clearing her eyes to a light blue, but just as quickly that clarity was gone and Carol was walking out the door.

"How much longer until we're puppets too?" questioned Lorna in a soft whisper. The room was silent as no one knew how to answer.

**Westchester Army Base:**

Dr. Rao studied the vial in her hands. She had worked laboriously over the formula for the past two years and finally, finally she felt it was ready for testing.

"Perhaps now this fruitless war will be finished. Now we will be able to live in peace." A small smile worked its way up onto Rao's face as she thought of the endless possibilities the vial in her hand would soon provide.

Now all she needed was a mutant to test it on to be sure that it worked.

**On the Other Side of the Base:**

"Are you telling me that Wolverine was here right under our noses?" demanded Fury.

Trask nodded as he rubbed the back of his head. "He was here all right. He knocked me out after the mention of Rogue—sounded personal if you ask me. Are you _positive_ the Rogue is his biological daughter?"

"We won't know until we test her blood first. But if she is, think of the possibilities if we can get her onto our side," said Fury with hope in his voice.

"You'll have to brainwash her first. She's quite a handful from the sounds of it." Trask winced as he rubbed a rather large bump on the back of his head. "Rumor has it she's worked on all sides of the fight. What's her real name again?"

"I think her adopted name is Marie…Marie something. She came from Mississippi somewhere. I have a couple guys checking it out. At Bayville High she went by Rogue Darkholme and she was…I think a senior. She'd be about twenty now. She's not a kid anymore."

"Not a kid?" Trask snorted. "She's still pretty damn young."

"Sabertooth hinted that she's more than capable of holding her own against the likes of the Hellfire Club, Sinister, and the leaders of the X-Men, and Brotherhood of Mutants. She never graduated from high school though, but she isn't stupid. The girl is cunning and one step ahead of everyone else."

"You really think you can catch her and bring her in? I don't want your job."

Fury grinned. "All that matters is using her skills and powers to bring down the mutant race."

At the same time as General Fury and Dr. Trask discussed Rogue, she was making her way down the hallway towards them. Raw power seemed to radiate from her as she walked, steering every soldier and scientist in her path running in the opposite direction.

Rogue's eyes were still black as night and her hair now reached just below her shoulder blades. She wore leather pants that hugged her every curve, with combat boots pulled up to her knees over the pants. Her leather shirt wrapped her upper body tightly, leaving her shoulders bare, and the sleeves reached down to her knuckles. The black color offset the white streaks in her hair, giving them an eerie glow.

When Rogue reached the door leading to Trask and Fury she paused for a moment. With a smirk she raised her hand in the air, flinging the door open psychically. Both Trask and Fury jumped in their seats as they caught sight of the woman standing on the other side of the door.

"Jesus Christ!" cried out Fury as he levitated in the air.

"I hope you have a plan in mind," murmured Trask as Rogue came to stand directly in from of the doctor-scientist.

"I hope y'all were saying nice things about me," said Rogue in a soft but dangerous tone. "Of course, I don't think there are many nice things you _can _say about me…so it seems pointless to play nice, don't you agree?"

"What do you want with us?" demanded Fury from his position in the air.

"I only came to fetch Dr. Trask. He's a wanted man."

"What do you want of me?" asked Trask suspiciously.

Rogue chuckled. "I don't want you for anything, sugar, my boss wants you. He seems to think you might be useful. I'm just the one picking you up."

"I thought you were breaking away from Apocalypse," stated Fury.

"Who the hell told you that? Sabertooth? I can never break away from the Apocalypse—no one can. And if I did break away from him you can be sure the two of you would be dead in a matter of minutes. I have no use for men who have worked alongside someone like Colonel Stryker. In fact, I have no use for any human being. But enough about me," murmured Rogue, growing more serious, "it's time to deliver the good doctor to Apocalypse and receive my reward for the day."

In a puff of smoke Fury was back on the ground, but both Rogue and Trask were long gone.

**Apocalypse's Hideout:**

Remy twirled his staff as he stood from his seat on the bed. He tensed at the sound of footsteps stopping outside the door. The doorknob began to turn, edging the door open. On nimble feet Remy had the intruder pinned against the re-closed door.

"Trying to sneak up on me, chère?" he hissed as his red on black eyes locked on green ones.

Rogue grinned. "I take it I didn't surprise you, huh, sugar?"

"I've trained myself to recognize the sound of your footsteps, ma chérie. You ain't ever gonna surprise me." Remy lowered his staff.

"That sounds like a challenge to me, Swamp Rat," murmured Rogue as she wrapped her arms around the Cajun's neck.

Remy dropped his bo-staff to the ground, swooping in for a kiss as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "I think you should start tonight."

"I like how your mind works, Swamp Rat. I'm starting to think there's a good reason why I've kept you around for so long," replied Rogue in between kisses. Remy smirked as Rogue began to push him backwards towards the bed; her lips never straying far from his own.

Like a long practiced dance the pair tugged at each other's clothing, never saying a word to disturb their enchantment with one another. Even as they tumbled onto the bed it seemed more of a ritual than anything else, for not once did either think of anything but the intense satisfaction and pleasure they felt in the arms of the other.

**Elsewhere in the Hideout:**

Phoenix studied the human, intrigued that he had yet to faint in her presence. Dr. Bolivar Trask was more hardened than she had thought a human could be. Standing a few feet behind her, Apocalypse chuckled.

"For the past two years you have declared the mutant known as Rogue a liar and a creature full of malicious intent and deceit. Yet once again she has proven her worth and loyalty by bringing me the creator of the robots you call sentinels. You are losing your way to envy of a mere child, Phoenix. I can't help but believe that you are losing your touch."

Phoenix stiffened at the comment, her dark eyes clouding to an even murkier shade of black than they already were. "She is up to something. I can feel it in my bones. The Rogue is not to be trusted. She is fated to destroy you and yet you continue to keep her by your side. How much longer will you keep your darkest enemy a cherished advisor?"

"When the time comes I shall destroy her and then none will ever stand in my way again. Until then she has her uses. All the Rogue really cares about is keeping the mutant called Gambit in her bed. Her mind is under my control—just as your mind is under my control. The Rogue is nothing more than a puppet," stated Apocalypse.

"As you say." Phoenix inclined her head in acknowledgement of the words of Apocalypse. "But what use do you have for this human?"

"I have a use for his creations. The sentinels will make a fine army for me to control, don't you agree?"

The Phoenix mentally brightened at the thought of having an entire army at her disposal. It wouldn't be long before she herself took control over everything Apocalypse had accomplished over the past two years. In steady voice she said, "You truly are a god, my liege. Your mind continues to astound me in your cunning and devious ways."

But even as she spoke she knew only one obstacle stood in her way of total domination of the universe. It stood in the form of a woman just as dangerous as she.

**Back to the Other Side of the Hideout, Hours Later:**

"How much longer do we have to pretend we're puppets, chère?"

Rogue shrugged as she shifted under the blankets to wrap her arms around Remy's waist. "I'm not sure. Phoenix is catching on though. I think she suspects that I've learned how to control Apocalypse's control on my mind. Of course I have to say that she isn't very fast at catching on…it's been two years since Apoca-face woke up."

"But it's only been one year since you've gained control," pointed out Remy as he wrapped his own arms around Rogue's body, hugging her closer and reveling in her warmth.

"I know, and soon we'll be able to rise up and kick ugly's ass and get back to normal."

"Which means back to not touching."

"It ain't my fault Pocky's control is the only reason I'm able to control all the other powers I've got running around inside my head. Besides, I thought you liked it better when I don't have any powers at all."

Remy chuckled. "Well, I don't have no complaints, but I do kinda miss the chase, chère. It took me a whole year to get you to play with me…" Remy frowned. "I take it we can't keep Pocky around so we can keep up the fun stuff?"

"Not a chance, Swamp Rat," replied Rogue with a grin. "But you never know what'll happen after we get rid of him. Maybe I'll have control for the rest of my life."

"I don't think your parents are going to like the sound of that."

"What they don't know won't hurt them."

Remy nodded, smiling as Rogue snuggled against him. "You still don't know what's going to happen when you kill Pocky, d'ya?"

"No, but whatever happens, Remy, we'll get through it together. You're all I've got right now. We've been plotting against Pocky since the start…and I think we're the only ones capable of going up against him." Rogue sighed. There was one obstacle in her way. One very dangerous, yet a very familiar obstacle.

"Then what do we do about the Red Bird?"

"I don't know…I don't want to kill her because deep down she's still Jean…but I'm starting to think I don't have a choice anymore."

"Then maybe we shouldn't think about it tonight," stated Remy moving to kiss Rogue once more. The southern belle allowed herself to be distracted from her thoughts once again.

**A/N: As of June 3, 2007 this chapter has been revised.**


	53. The Power of Four

Disclaimer: Oh, you guys know this stuff doesn't belong to me

_**Disclaimer: Oh, you guys know this stuff doesn't belong to me.**_

**Chapter 52-The Power of Four**

Death stared at Phoenix with a dark look on his face. His posture made it obvious that he was unimpressed by her words. "You are talking of an uprising that will only end in our deaths."

"Not if you side with me," said Phoenix coldly.

"How can we be sure of that? You and the Rogue threaten to kill each other on a daily basis," pointed out Famine. "Your words mean nothing when even _you_ cannot do a thing about that mutant girl."

Phoenix's head shot around to glare at the thin mutant who had spoken. "She is not your concern. You leave her to me and I will deal with her. I didn't come here to be questioned by you; you are nothing but puppets of Apocalypse."

"And you are not?" questioned War with narrowed eyes.

"I am the Phoenix…I am not a puppet. All I ask is for you to side with me…work with me…do as I say. Apocalypse does not have much time left on this planet. He is destined to be destroyed—and I intend to make that happen. And you will either be with me or against me…and if you choose the latter I will personally see to it that your death is long and painful."

Pestilence stood up. "You don't leave us with a choice in the matter."

"No, I do not."

"Then what do you want us to do?"

Tilting her head to one side, Phoenix slowly smiled. "Nothing yet. Just be aware that your loyalties lie with no one but me. Apocalypse will be sending you out to turn the world upside down. I will give you your orders then."

"I don't like this," stated Death.

"Does it look like I care?" snarled the red head, her face darkening. Without another word she was stalking out of the small chamber, leaving the Four Horsemen alone.

"Can we trust her?" questioned Famine.

"She's right about one thing," said War, "We really don't have a choice. We'll end up dead no matter whose side we choose."

"Too true," sighed Pestilence. "The Rogue has control of Gambit, Sabertooth, Lady Deathstrike, and Juggernaut. Phoenix lives in her own world half the time. And Apocalypse seems to stay in his throne room. There's too much power in this hellhole, all three of them are plotting against the other, and this rift will only grow wider. There's nothing we can do but go along with the inevitable now."

The Four Horsemen looked up in surprise as Emma Frost walked into the chamber. Her face was set in a deep frown and she looked to be pissed as hell. Emma ignored the quartet and continued walking further into the base, her footsteps echoing across the cavern walls.

"I want to talk to you!" she stated in a loud voice causing Apocalypse to look up from the table he was peering over.

"How did you get here?" he growled.

"That's unimportant! I'm here to negotiate—"

"I do not negotiate with underlings—only equals!"

"I _am_ your equal!" shrieked Emma.

"You are nothing more than a flea—one I will not have any problem squashing if you do not _leave_!"

"Not until you hear what I have to say!"

Apocalypse raised a hand into the air, a bright orb of light forming. He was about to let it fly in Emma's direction when Rogue came bursting into the room. "Wait!" she called out, giving Emma an icy look. "Let me handle this one."

"Just get her out of my sight."

Nodding, Rogue grabbed Emma in a steel grip around the arm and yanked the blonde woman out of the room. Emma protested the entire way, struggling to pull herself out of Rogue's grip before the southerner's powers kicked in. Rogue continued to pull Emma, not caring that the blonde was panicking in her grip. She finally let go of Emma as soon as they were outside the base.

"What the hell were you thinking trying to talk to Apocalypse as though you're just as powerful as he is? The asshole doesn't even like talking to me or Phoenix half the time. Are you completely insane?" demanded Rogue angrily.

Emma rubbed her wrist gingerly. "I'm tired of being over looked! One day the world will see what I'm made of—and then they'll be sorry!"

Rogue shook her head at Emma's words. She sounded completely off her rocker. "You've lost your mind, lady. Thinking like that's only going to get yourself killed. Is that what you want? You don't even understand the half of what's going on. Apocalypse, Phoenix, and I are probably going to end up dead after he gets through trying to take over the world or whatever shit he's got up his sleeve. I don't think that's what you had in mind for eternal glory, blondie."

"And you think I'm insane? You're the one going along with his plans."

"It's not like I've got anything better to do," retorted Rogue glibly. "Look, why don't you just go back to trying to be the White Queen of la-la land and leave the world domination and destruction to the real psychos, huh? 'Cause I'm not going to rescue your sorry ass the next time you come around looking for trouble. I might just kill you myself."

Emma snorted. "You wish, brat. You are nothing without Apocalypse. Before him you were just another angst driven teenager with a penchant for trouble. You didn't have control of powers before he came along…and after he's gone you'll go down to the furthest reaches of hell where you belong!"

"I'll be sure to save you a spot then, sugar. I'm sure there'll be more than enough room for the two of us."

"Fuck you."

"Go home, Frost. This isn't your calling. You aren't meant to be a minion and you know it. You're a leader…so go lead your little robot army back at the club. I'm sure they'd like to be able to do something rather than just sit around and bitch about you and the rest of the old fucks you've got running that place."

Grinding her teeth in anger Emma flipped a strand of blonde hair over her shoulder. She was tempted to lash out at Rogue with her psychic powers but had a feeling that Rogue would only lash back at her with one of many borrowed powers of her own. Instead she turned her attention to Remy who was now joining them. "I see you've still got your lapdog."

Remy grinned. "Aw chère, why didn't you tell me we were going to be having the crazy lady over today? I would've dressed up."

"She was just leaving," replied Rogue smoothly, "Weren't you, Emma?"

"Not until I talk to Apocalypse," said Emma crossing her arms in front of her chest. Rogue and Remy exchanged glances and then both grabbed a hold of Emma by the arms. A second later they were standing in front of the Hellfire Club.

"Care to reconsider?" asked Rogue.

"How dare you. One day I'll get you back for this…I'm going to kill you."

"Then you might want to get in line," pointed out Remy. "I think Apocalypse, Phoenix, and Danvers are ahead of you."

"Oh who asked you for your opinion?" snapped Emma.

Remy shrugged as he turned to look at Rogue. "I don't think she likes my sense of humor, chère."

"That's a shame…and here I thought maybe she'd take you off my hands," murmured Rogue with a roll of her eyes. Emma was seething by now. She opened her mouth to yell at the southern girl but quickly closed it again with a grunt. Turning on her heels Emma stalked towards the front door, opening it and slamming it shut once she had stepped inside.

"Want me to see what she does?" questioned Remy pulling out his bo-staff.

"Naturally."

"Then don't leave without me." Remy sent Rogue a grin and disappeared around the side of the mansion, leaving Rogue standing outside.

"I know you're in there, Jeanie," murmured Rogue to herself as she studied the large mansion. "What are you up to now?"

Inside the mansion Emma's fury was only heightening to impossible levels. She had barely entered the front door when Phoenix and Sinister had appeared to greet her. "What the hell is going on here?" demanded the blonde psychic to Sinister.

"The Phoenix has come to make a deal with us," answered Sinister simply.

"What kind of deal?"

The Phoenix smirked. "I offer you my services for the chance to become the Black Queen."

"And how the hell do you propose we do that? Selene's the Black Queen—unless she's deemed unworthy by the club or killed off, she's not leaving that position any time soon," stated Emma.

"It can easily be arranged."

"You're just as fucking crazy as that other brat."

"You mean the Rogue? She's got so many voices in her head she probably doesn't even know who she is."

"I think she has a pretty damn good idea who she is and what she's doing."

"This only proves why you were deemed unworthy two years ago," snorted Phoenix.

Emma blinked in surprise. "Screw you. I'm starting to wonder who I want to kill more, you or the girl!"

Sinister wisely stepped in between the two women with a stern look on his face. "Enough. If we are going to make an alliance let us do so without killing each other first!"

"What the hell are we going to gain by teaming up with her?" questioned Emma shortly. "What's to stop her from killing us in our sleep?"

Phoenix shrugged. "You just have to trust me. I haven't even _begun_ to unleash the full extent of my powers upon the world. You need me if you are to survive Apocalypse. Without me you will all perish."

Emma took a deep breath and then nodded slowly. "Alright, so what do you want of us?"

Before she answered Phoenix raised a hand in the air, forming a red orb in her palm. She unleashed it at the nearest window, sending glass shattering. A foreign oath greeted the ears of the trio and they could see Gambit running away.

Rogue tore her glance away from the mansion as Remy came running as fast as he could from the other side of the yard. "You got caught," she accused as he stopped in front of her.

"The Red Bird tried to kill me, chère."

"Did you find anything out?"

Remy shrugged. "She wants to be the Black Queen of the Hellfire Club…whatever she's going to have them do is going to stay a secret. She knows we're here. We better get out of here before she decides to come out and play."

"She won't come out. She was just giving us a warning."

"What kind of warning? 'Cause I don't like her way of going about it."

Rogue was thoughtful for a moment and then she grinned. "I think we're going to need someone to do a little dirty work for us."

"You got someone in mind?" Remy broke out into a grin at the look on Rogue's face. "I like how your mind works, chère."

"Well it's nice to hear you like something other than my body, Swamp Rat."

"Chère, I worship your body…your mind's just a nice bonus that comes with it."

"Please tell me that wasn't some kind of twisted compliment," murmured Rogue with a raised eyebrow.

"Why not?"

"_This_ is why I refuse to marry you, Cajun."

Remy pouted. "I thought it was because you didn't like the ring I bought."

"It was pink—but that's beside the point! You aren't going your sex a service by being dumb when it comes to talking to me. Some lady's man you turned out to be."

"You just haven't seen me in action yet. I know how to sweep women off their feet, chère, and one of these days I'm going to sweep you off of yours."

"And while I wait for that day in anticipation we're going to go get ourselves a spy."

Remy pulled Rogue into his arms with a smile, "Then we can at least have some fun on the way," he suggested playfully. Rogue chuckled as he leaned in for a kiss. When she broke away the pair were standing outside the gates leading to Xavier's mansion.

"You think he's going to know we're here?" asked Remy leaning against one side of the gate and pulling a cigarette out of his pocket.

Rogue shook her head. "No, but I have a good feeling he'll be coming our way fairly soon." She leaned against the other side of the gate and the two waited in silence.

It was an hour later when footsteps could be heard along the gravel driveway, a whistling indicating that whoever was coming towards the gate was in a jovial mood. Morph pushed open the gates and closed them behind him without missing a beat of the ditty he was whistling. His whistle faded however when he turned around and came face to face with Rogue and Remy.

"Not you two again," was all he said. Rogue and Remy exchanged sly smiles as they turned their undivided attention to the shape shifter.

"Have we got a deal for you, sugar," said Rogue softly.

Morph groaned. "I don't think I like the sound of that."

Remy tossed his cigarette butt to the ground. "You don't have to, mon ami."

**Later That Day :**

"…and humans will fear us like never before!" Apocalypse's voice echoed through out the chamber, resonating in the ears of his minions. "So I say to you, my Horsemen, go out and pillage the four corners of the earth! Do what you do best!"

The Four Horsemen stepped forward in a single row. Their black eyes glittered as they inclined their heads in homage to the Dark Lord. Apocalypse returned the favor with a bow of his own head. On either side of him stood Rogue and Phoenix, both watching the exchange with avid interest. It was then that Phoenix stepped forward.

"My Liege, I offer my services to your Horsemen. I will watch them to be sure that nothing stands in their way," said Phoenix, her voice low as she bowed to Apocalypse.

The evil mutant seemed to consider this for a moment and then gave a nod of his head. "Very well then, kill all who get in your way."

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Phoenix straightened up and smirked in Rogue's direction before following Death, Famine, Pestilence, and War out of the chamber.

Rogue pursed her lips as she watched the red head leave. Then she said, "I don't trust her."

"She doesn't trust you either. You're even, now get it over it." Apocalypse turned away from Rogue and strode out of the chamber as well. Rogue glared at his back as Remy came to stand by her side.

"Something tells me the big guy doesn't like you or the Red Bird anymore," murmured the Cajun.

"I'm not surprised, sugar. I think he's getting to the point where he isn't going to trust anyone but himself. Jeanie's starting to get restless and everyone knows it. I wonder why he even let her go with the Horsemen…he has to know that she's going to try and get them onto her side."

"Not my place to care, chère."

"It will be when all four of them come after us, Swamp Rat."

"And here I thought we were done with the name calling."

Rogue snorted as she glanced over at Remy. "Fat chance. You always seem to open your mouth and let stupid words come out."

Remy frowned. "Maybe I should find myself a new girl…one that isn't so mouthy."

"Sorry, sugar, but last I checked the Pink Power Ranger was taken."

"That isn't funny."

"I thought it was."

The pair was interrupted with their bantering when Juggernaut and Lady Deathstrike joined them. Juggernaut scratched his head with a frown on his face. "What do we do now?" he asked.

Taking a deep breath Rogue let it out slowly as she chose her words carefully, but no matter how hard she tried she couldn't find an easier way to say what she had to say. "We're going to stop Phoenix and the Four Horsemen…then we're going to kill Apocalypse."

At the same time, Apocalypse was coming up with a plan of his own. He sat on his throne and studied the empty throne room before him. "You are sure she is the one?"

"Positive," came a female voice from the shadows behind him.

"And not the other."

"The other has a different destiny. She is nothing more than a minor disturbance…not a threat to you."

"Then there is no other way." Apocalypse nodded solemnly to himself and glanced at the woman in the shadows. "Give the orders to kill the Rogue at any cost."

Stepping forward Sage bowed regally. "As you wish, My Lord."

**A/N—As of June 2, 2007 this chapter has been revised.**


	54. Pestilence

Disclaimer: Still not mine

**Disclaimer: Still not mine.**

**Chapter 53-Pestilence**

_Drip. Drip._

A rat scurried down the tunnel, avoiding the drops of water falling from overhead. It stopped once, sat on its haunches and poked its nose into the air. It sat as still as a rock for several long minutes, and then, in the blink of an eye, it was moving further into the sewers, faster than before. A warm breeze followed in the rodent's wake, warming the tunnel to an uncomfortable level. The dripping slowed, and then, it stopped.

Minutes passed. Then footsteps were heard from the dark recesses of the tunnel. The footsteps were steady but slow. More minutes passed. Slowly a figure could be seen emerging from the shadows. The figure belonged to an elderly woman, plump in appearance with graying hair and a kerchief tied around her head. She was dressed in a plain flower print dress, and she walked with a small hunch.

Her gait was painstakingly slow. She paused once, leaning against the wall of the tunnel as if to catch her breath. She glanced ahead into the shadows of the sewers, sensing she was almost home, and knowing she would find it empty. Wiping her brow with a single hand, she continued forward at her slow pace, her eyes glittering from a stream of light from above.

**At the Same Time**

Caliban glanced up swiftly, his heart thudding in his chest. He rose to his feet, silencing the rest of the Morlocks with a motion of his hand. Straining his ears he listened, hearing nothing but water dripping somewhere further away. And then the dripping stopped. Caliban drew in his breath, his pale face paling even more. He quickly turned back to the rest of the group.

"We must leave. She is coming for us."

Callisto frowned. "Who?"

"One of the Four Horsemen, Pestilence."

"No." Evan shook his head. "Plague wouldn't use her powers on us. She's a Morlock."

Caliban sighed wearily. "She may be one of us, but right now she is under the control of someone greater than us. We cannot be here when she comes. She means to kill us all. Think of Torpid…we cannot stay."

Evan swallowed as he peered into the darkness of the sewer tunnel. Then with a swift nod he turned, grabbed Torpid around the waist and pulled her into his arms. "Let's get going then. We can follow the Graymalkin Pipe to Xavier's mansion. We should be safe there."

No one argued as Callisto ushered the rest of the Morlocks onto their feet. Together the small group made its way down another tunnel, walking as fast as they could with Evan leading the way. Caliban cast one glance back down the tunnel with a somber look. Closing his eyes and mouthing a silent prayer he turned and followed his makeshift family away from their true home.

Silence loomed throughout the Morlock base like a dark cloud overhead. Then it was broken by a soft sound of tiny feet scurrying across the stone siding. A rat appeared. Its pace had slowed to a crawl, and its whiskers seemed to droop with every step it took. Three steps…two steps…one step…it collapsed to the ground, making a soft sound. It took one shuddering breath and then stilled completely.

A minute later Plague appeared, her black eyes taking in the dead rat on the ground. She glanced around the base, making a tsking sound with her teeth. Then she slowly turned around to return from whence she came. She would do more damage above ground. Mutants really weren't on her death list anyway—just humans.

**Xavier's Mansion**

"Is this everyone?" asked Scott as Evan emerged from the secret tunnel.

Evan nodded as he placed Torpid on the ground. He shut the wall panel behind him and allowed his gaze to sweep across the few mutants gathered in the hallway. "We have nowhere else to go. Man…Plague's a Morlock…it's hard to believe that she would ever come after us, or kill us. She's one of us."

"So are Red and Stripes," replied Logan gruffly. "But you don't see us welcoming them with open arms, d'ya?"

Ororo shot Logan a dark look. "It's not that easy for any of us. To see loved ones under someone else's control is more than _any_ of us can handle. But we must bear this burden until Apocalypse is destroyed."

Hank nodded in agreement, his hands rubbing at his furry face. "But if Plague is wandering around the city…that will pose a problem. Her powers are of a rare kind, just like most Morlocks have. She is able to carry and spread any disease imaginable in her body. That is why she lived under ground for so long, so as not to unwillingly inflict another soul. We must find her and stop her before anyone dies."

A soft cough garnered the attention of the adults. Several concerned faces glanced down at Torpid. The young mutant girl looked pale, and her face was bathed with sweat. Another cough popped out of her mouth and she glanced up sheepishly.

Callisto frowned. "This can't be possible—we didn't come into contact with Plague!"

Caliban shook his head. "Under the control of Apocalypse one's powers are strengthened. Plague infected the entire sewer system by just walking down the tunnels…we have all been infected…all…of…us…" His last few words were barely heard as he leaned against the wall and slumped to the ground. Around him several more mutants, some Morlocks, some X-Men, began to wilt on their feet as well.

Professor Xavier's face grew alarmed. He glanced over at Hank. "Get everyone down to the med-bay; we cannot let everyone grow sick!"

The next half hour was pure chaos as students, teachers, and Morlocks were brought down to the med-bay, filling up every bed and chair available. Moira and Hank were bustling back and forth from one patient to the other, but neither seemed to be making any progress.

"There must be something we can do—some way to stop this malady from affecting everyone!" exclaimed Moira, her hand flying up to the mess of hair atop her head.

"I wish I knew how," murmured Hank glancing around wearily. His eyes paused on Logan who was ordering Laura to drop Pyro on the ground. "Or perhaps I do. Logan, come here."

"What for?"

"You and Laura are the only two seemingly unaffected by the spreading of disease."

Logan snorted. "Glad you noticed, fur ball."

Laura shot the gruff mutant a glare as she struggled to support Pyro's weight. "It's only 'cause we have healing factors," she stated. "Our bodies don't get sick."

"Exactly." Hank beamed and motioned for Logan to give him one of his arms. Logan reluctantly did so, eyeing the needle in Hank's hand suspiciously. Seeing Logan's look Hank said, "I have a feeling that we might be able to use your blood as an antidote to the spreading of disease."

"Aw, go for it." Logan didn't blink as the needle went into his arm, drawing blood. Moira and Laura both watched with intrigue as Hank finished up and set to work at the lab counter. The two females exchanged a quick look before making up their minds.

Laura let go of Pyro, watching him fall to the ground like a brick as she pushed up the sleeve in her arm. "Sorry, Pyro, but this will make you better." She watched with avid interest as Moira pulled out a needle and prepared it to draw blood.

Moira took a deep breath before taking blood from Laura's arm. "You better be right about this, Hank."

"That makes two of us, m'dear."

**An Hour Later**

"Cerebro has managed to locate Plague's whereabouts," said Xavier rubbing his temples wearily. "She is currently sitting downtown. Just sitting there…but her power level is off the charts. She could sleep and the disease would manage to spread without her having to think about it. This will not be easy. That is why I am sending the five of you to try and stop her."

The professor glanced around at the small group assembled before him, all suited up and ready to go. Colossus, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, Wolverine, and Storm. The younger mutants glanced at each other wearily. Each knew what would happen if they were infected by Plague. Each also knew that Wolverine was probably the only one completely immune to Plague's powers.

"I have every bit of faith that you can do it. All you have to do is work as a team."

Looking around Quicksilver finally asked the question on everyone's mind. "Do we…is there…how are we supposed to stop her? I mean, being under Apocalypse's control and all…isn't she like…unstoppable?"

Xavier took a deep breath before answering. "I ask that you use any means possible to save as many lives as possible."

No one had to ask what means the professor was talking about. They all knew that if it came down to it, death would be an option.

**Downtown**

Rogue looked around the outdoor shopping center in disgust. Humans were running, screaming at the top of their lungs as though it was the end of the world. Women held small children close to their chests as men pushed past them to get out of the way. Too many however were falling to the ground, their faces bathed in sweat, their bodies weakening as an unknown illness took over. It was obvious that a majority of them were dying, soon to become tragic cases to remember in history as only sidewalk victims of a mutant.

Eyes scanning the fast moving crowds, Rogue studied each and every person, searching for only one face. A small smirk worked its way onto her face as she finally spotted the woman she had come for. Rogue moved forward at a simple face, neither fast nor slow. It was no concern of hers if a human died. As she moved the crowd seemed to part like the Red Sea, no one giving her a second glance as they seemingly ran in opposite directions as if they had been guided away from the shopping center.

Rogue smirked as she came to a complete stop in front of Plague. The older mutant was sitting hunched over in a chair, her black eyes staring at the cement beneath her feet. Neither said a word for a long while. Then Plague spoke. "So you have come to end the scourge? You have come to save the race you hate?"

"No…I came to teach you a lesson. No one works for Phoenix and lives to tell about it. That's just the way it works."

"This isn't about the Phoenix, child. This is about you wanting eternal glory for yourself."

"This time you've got it wrong," stated Rogue smoothly. "That isn't how I operate. I don't like Pocky, I don't like Phoenix, and I sure as hell don't like you or the other three flying horses because you work for both Pocky _and _Phoenix."

"Your reasoning is weak."

"So are you."

Plague glanced up, her eyes glinting in the sunlight. Her lips curved into a smile as she locked eyes with Rogue. "I see you have gained a semblance of control. You are not a puppet…but you are still no better than a puppet."

"Then maybe we should just get to the part where I kill you."

"You can't kill. You are an X-Man. They don't kill, and neither do you."

A hand shot out, gripping Plague by the collar of her dress, pulling the older woman to her feet. "Guess again, lady. I don't play by anyone's rules but my own."

"You shouldn't have come after me." Plague's words were spoken with a sense of satisfaction in her voice. "You too will be infected by disease…and you will die. Some great mutant you turned out to be. You are just as weak as the humans…I heard tell that you've never accepted the gift that you were born with. The power of absorption. It's a shame to see such a power wasted on such a girl as you—one who cannot even appreciate what you have. It makes you human, that craving to be normal, without powers. You're no better than the scum that would have you locked away."

Rogue's eyes narrowed at the words, her will deflating slightly. The words were true. Too true. She had never wanted her powers, her curse. She had only wanted to be normal—to live a simple life, and yet that hadn't happened. She was the untouchable, and always would be unless some miracle happened. Sure she had control now…but that wouldn't last. The moment Apocalypse was destroyed things would return to the hectic mess they had been before he had been released, and that meant going back to being out of control.

Taking a deep breath Rogue locked eyes with Plague, speaking with a low, but deadly serious tone. "Then I guess it wouldn't be beneath me to kill you, now would it?"

Plague chuckled dryly. "You can try, but you are no match for the disease I carry. It is only minutes before your body grows weak trying to fight the infection. You're a goner."

"I wish I could believe you, lady, but you've already forgotten something really important—right now I've got more than one power, and they're always shifting. I can't catch what you're carryin'." Rogue let go of her grip on Plague, raising a single hand slightly, raising the mutant into the air. "So now the question is, how should I kill you? I've always been partial to watching people fly, but maybe I'll just tear your body apart limb by limb."

"My insurance will cover it."

Rogue made a face at the sentence that seemed to have come out of nowhere. Insurance? Not understanding, Rogue decided the words meant nothing. It was just a plot to confuse the southern woman, and Rogue wasn't going to fall for it. Her eyes narrowed as she filtered through her mind to find a power worthy enough to kill Plague with, but her concentration was cut short when a man's cry echoed across the plaza. Rogue's head whipped around, recognizing the voice as Remy. He was running her way, his bo-staff out, and a worried expression on his face.

The reason why became apparent ten seconds later.

Phoenix barreled into Rogue, knocking the breath out of the brunette as they slammed into the ground.

"Shit!" The word popped out of Rogue's mouth as they skidded across the cement. Scrambling to her feet at the same time as Phoenix Rogue gritted her teeth with anger. This had to be the insurance that Plague had been talking about, and it pissed Rogue off that she hadn't put the two together until it was too late. Out of the corner of her eye Rogue could see Remy slowing his pace. There was a new expression on his face, one of confusion. Turning her attention back to the fuming red head in front of her Rogue was gathering up several powers at once to unleash on Phoenix when she realized that everyone's attention was now directed at something behind her.

Rogue turned her head, blinking in surprise at the sight of Wolverine, Storm, Colossus, Quicksilver, and the Scarlet Witch. "Well I'll be damned," she murmured half to herself. "It looks like the Professor and Mags finally got their act together. I wonder which one of us they're going to kill."

Phoenix growled. "A simple distraction, that's all they are."

Smirking, Rogue replied, "Then I'll let you play with them. I'm not in the pest control business, Red." With those words Rogue turned her back on her former teammates, Phoenix, and Plague. Her steps were steady as she headed Remy's way.

One eyebrow was raised as he asked, "You sure about this, chère?"

"I only came to stop Plague—not engage in any battles or lectures."

"What about your père?"

"Until Apocalypse is destroyed I can't afford to let down my defenses." Her words her soft and childlike, revealing a torn side of the southern woman. It was obvious that all she really wanted to do was turn back around and run into the arms of her father. Remy nodded silently, knowing there was nothing he could do or say now. Gently, he slipped an arm around her shoulders and the two began to walk in the direction leading away from what seemed to be an unavoidable standoff.

Wolverine's eyes narrowed at the sight, but he was relieved to see that not only was Rogue okay, but that they wouldn't be forced to battle against her. Instead, he focused his attention on the two mutants in front of him. Phoenix and Plague. He claws slid out of his knuckles and a sinister smile crossed his face. "So, who wants to die first?"

**On the Other Side of Town:**

Sinister looked up from his place in the shadows as two figures approached. His patience had worn thin by the time they finally came across him, neither seemed inclined to offer up any apologies for their tardiness and slow pace. In fact, they both seemed pretty damned pleased with themselves.

Rogue spoke first, a grin on her face. "What news d'ya got for us, sugar?"

"Obviously news that isn't pressing," replied the gray faced mutant menacingly.

"Aw, chère, I think he doesn't like the fact that we were slow."

"Then I guess we shouldn't tell him about that ten minute break we took on the way to fool around."

Sinister closed his eyes briefly before opening them again. As much as he wanted to lose his patience completely and just kill the two mutants before him, he knew he didn't stand a chance to the one called Rogue. Not with her powers fluctuating as much as they did these days. Rather, he chose to talk, using a diplomatic tone of voice.

"We have a problem. It seems that someone has sold us out to Apocalypse."

"Darlin'," started Rogue with a bemused look on her face, "if you're talking about the fact that Pocky doesn't trust us, I already know that."

"Actually I was talking about the fact that he has given the order to kill you and any who are on your side."

Remy frowned. "Now why would the boss man want to do that?"

"I don't know. All I know is that someone sold us out. I want to pin it on Emma Frost, but considering she's been holed up in her room drunk for the last few days I highly doubt she was behind this little exposé."

Rogue shook her head. "Then who? It couldn't have been Phoenix because as crazy as she is, she wants the pleasure of killing me all to herself."

"My guess would be it was someone with great skills of manipulation."

"Which could mean any mutant. There are too many of us involved in this whole Pocky business…" Rogue sighed wearily. "But who would gain with the demise of everyone on my side? I've got all the delinquents and hooligans—not exactly a prize winning team."

Sinister folded his arms with a thoughtful expression on his face. "Whoever it is has something to gain with your death and not the death of the Phoenix. If I were you I would be careful from here on out."

"Advice coming from the guy plotting alongside the Phoenix? I'm not sure I like that."

"You're the one infiltrating my side with your own mutant."

"So you've noticed Morph hanging around? And here I thought you had forgotten he used to work for you."

"We are all equals it seems. Each of us does not trust the other."

Rogue snorted. "Despite the fact that you don't trust me, it's a bit ironic that your life hinges on whether or not I live."

"That is only one of many reasons I asked to meet with you," stated Sinister.

"I'm listening."

"Selene has her own plan in the works, one that involves her 'pets'. The mutants known as Magma and Sunspot."

"Amara and Roberto?" Rogue pursed her lips. "I don't know what her game is, but it'll come to nothing in the end."

"Just so you are aware, I believe Selene has a larger hold on the Hellfire Club than many are aware of."

Remy frowned. "How so?"

"Her powers of mind control are great—almost as great as that of the Phoenix and Charles Xavier. She is controlling several minds in the Club, but who they are…I have yet to find out."

Rogue tugged at a strand of her hair. "Then I guess that makes her your problem. My problem is getting rid of Apocalypse. I'm not getting involved in that damn Club ta play chess games. I really don't give a damn what Selene is up to so long as she doesn't screw up my plans."

Sinister's eyes glittered darkly. "That might be a mistake."

**Xavier's Mansion:**

"They're back!" The cry echoed down from the second floor where students were gathered around a window, watching eagerly for the return of the team that had gone out in search of Plague. Footsteps ran across the hallway as more students crowded around the windows, trying to see who had returned.

Xavier wheeled himself into the foyer with Magneto, Beast, and Mystique right behind him. From the den came Callisto and Evan. Their faces were grim as the front door opened and Storm stepped through the doorway. Her clothing was torn, and there were smudges of smoke on her face, but despite it all she was still standing. Behind her came Colossus supporting both Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch who were weary from battle. The last to enter was Wolverine…and in his arms was the frail body of Plague.

Callisto closed her eyes and leaned against the door frame of the den as Evan clenched his hands into fists. It didn't take a psychic to see that the Morlock was dead. "How?" was all he was able to get out.

Storm shook her head. "There was nothing we could do, Evan…the Phoenix was unstoppable in her fury…it took all we had to protect ourselves."

Caliban stepped forward, a solemn look on his face as he reached out to extract Plague from Wolverine's arms. "We are only Morlocks…this was never meant to be our battle, and yet it seems that none can withstand the will of Apocalypse, or the Phoenix, or even the Rogue. But this battle is one that cannot be won without great sacrifice. I am afraid that the future is grim…that this is only the beginning of the end."

Evan and Callisto recognized their leader's words and straightened their postures. They knew Caliban was talking of giving up, of giving in…and for once the battle leaders were in agreement. A Morlock's place was not fighting for the safety of others. Their battle was one of survival, and it did not involve Apocalypse, mutant rights, or civil liberties.

Taking a deep breath Caliban's eyes searched the crowd of mutants now gathered around, his gaze centering on each and every Morlock there. "It is time for us to return home…our sacrifice has been made…our time is done."

**Sewers:**

Smoke filtered up through the manhole to be swept away by the wind. In the sewers the reason for the smoke was quite apparent. A small pyre had been built, onto which the Morlock known as Plague had been placed. Around the pyre the Morlocks gathered with tears in their eyes. They would mourn for a long while after this, perhaps to never be the same again.

As the fire dwindled down, leaving nothing but ash, the Morlocks, slowly and one by one turned to retreat further into the sewers. Caliban watched them go, his eyes taking in their faces as they glanced at him. Pain, anguish, and uncertainty were all he could see. He took a deep breath as the last of his people vanished into the darkness, leaving him alone in the tunnel.

With the movement of a broken man, Caliban turned around to gaze in the other direction. He stood still for several long minutes, his own face reflecting the defeat he felt inside. His expression didn't change even when Rogue appeared out of the shadows.

"Your actions will be felt for all time," said Caliban softly.

"I can't control fate, Caliban. If I could I never would've been born."

"You are the only one who can end this."

"And I will, sugar. I just need your help."

Caliban shook his head, tears filling in his eyes. He half turned away, but was stopped as Rogue reached out a hand to grip his arm. "I cannot help you, Rogue. This is something you must do on your own."

"But I can't…I don't know what to do." Rogue's tone plead with Caliban, her voice soft and filled with a sense of fear. "Caliban, please…you've got to help me. You have to tell me what to do. How can I stop this? How can I stop more people from dying? I'm doing this blind…and I'm afraid that if I don't find a way to see I'll lose people I love."

"It is your battle, not mine, nor anybody else's."

Rogue tugged at Caliban's arms, her eyes wide. "Please…please…Caliban, I thought you were my friend…I know I've made mistakes in the past. I'm screwed up, and I deserve everything I get…but I need you. Please? You were like a father to me before I found out who my father was…you're the only one I can trust now. Please don't let me down."

Her voice choked up at the end, causing Caliban to turn around and face the petite woman. Tears were streaming down her face and for the first time in a long time he saw the scared girl she had been over two years ago when she had first arrived in Bayville. He pulled her into his arms, comforting her as a father would. He knew what it was she feared the most.

"What will happen, will happen," he whispered.

Rogue pulled away and wiped tears from her eyes. "I know what's going to happen Caliban…I know how it's going to end. I dream about it every night…I can see it in my head as clear as day, and there's nothing I can do to change it."

She took a deep breath, continuing, "I'm the only one who can destroy Apocalypse…but I don't know how I'm supposed to do that."

"What of the Phoenix?"

"She was never my problem. That's Jean's problem…Jean will have to fight her own demons, just like I've got to fight my own."

Caliban was silent. The tunnel became quiet as well. The only sound that could be heard was water dripping from the top of the tunnel into the sewage water below. "You know I will help you…but I must ask one thing. What will happen once you destroy Apocalypse? He was the first mutant in history…his death could mean the death of us all."

"That's a bunch of bullshit."

"If you cannot be straight with me—"

"It's my fate…I'll destroy Apocalypse…and…" Rogue closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. "And I'm going to die doing it."

"The ultimate sacrifice."

"The ultimate sacrifice," agreed Rogue softly.

**A/N—As of June 2, 2007, Chapter 53: Famine has been revised.**


	55. Famine

Disclaimer: Not mine

**Disclaimer: Not mine.**

**Chapter 54-Famine**

He ran as though his life depended on it. Not once did her look back to see if he was being followed. All that mattered was going forward, getting closer to any sign of life that would be able to save him. Protect him. Tree branches tore at his face, letting blood trail down his cheeks, but even then he did not slow down. He couldn't slow down. An owl hooted off in the distance, making his eyes grow wide with fear. They were coming. They had to be. He had been told that he was a wanted man. And now he had escaped. He was running.

"Halt!!" came a harsh cry, making him stop in his tracks. They had found him. He was going to die.

"Who goes there?" demanded another voice, just as cold and harsh as the first.

"Please…I didn't mean to run…please," his voice broke as he dropped to his knees, his hands clasped together in a pleading manner. He couldn't die. He couldn't.

"Dr. Trask…is that you?" This time the voice wasn't as loud or harsh as the first two. In fact, the voice seemed comforting. Looking up, he blinked as a bright flash of light was played across his eyes. He brought his arms up to shield them, praying he wouldn't go blind. When he finally lowered his hands again he blinked several times to be sure that he wasn't seeing things.

"Oh thank-god," was all he could choke out upon seeing the ever familiar patch with the S.H.I.E.L.D. insignia on it.

Bolivar Trask had finally been found.

**Europe:**

"Remember, though she may look like an innocent teenager, she is anything but," said Beast, glancing over at his companions who stood on either side of him. On one side Shadowcat and Nightcrawler nodded in understanding, on his other Blob and Daytripper murmured their acknowledgement of his words. Beast took a deep breath, glancing straight ahead of him, trying hard not to see the bodies strewn across the cement. So many innocent victims were dying at mutant hands; it was growing easier to see why so many humans resented mutants.

Shadowcat spoke nervously, her voice cracking slightly. "Look at everyone. They look…so gaunt…so sick."

"Dead," added Nightcrawler softly. "They died of hunger…how could there be such a power? It is unimaginable to go through life having a power so cursed, so—"

"Like Rogue," stated Blob bluntly. "Just like Rogue's powers. This is why she hates her powers, 'cause they can inflict this kind of damage."

Daytripper gulped, edging closer to the oversized mutant beside her. "It takes a strong person to bear such a weight."

"But is Rogue strong enough?" questioned Nightcrawler, blinking back tears. "I used to think nothing could stop her, that the burden she carried was small…but it's been two years now…and now…now I believe she has lost not only her mind, but her soul to the power within her."

Beast sighed. "Many could say the same of Jean Grey and Phoenix. Charles has said that one must learn to control one's powers, and not let them control you. Control is a very hard thing to come across for a mutant…every day is another battle. Can we refrain from using our powers for the sake of showing off? Can we act as human as possible, without seeming superior for never using our powers? Can we keep our tempers in check when cursed for what we are, rather than fighting, arguing, and acting in desperate measures?

"To be a mutant, no matter how small or how large, no matter how strong or how weak, no matter how powerful…well, to be a mutant is a struggle day in and day out. Humans will never understand us unless they were to become one of us…just as we cannot understand them for being so prejudiced and resentful without being in their shoes.

"Power in any hands is a dangerous thing, no matter how innocent those hands may be, or how tainted they will become. For years we mutants have believed that our powers are gifts, given to us for unknown reasons but to show that all creatures can endure hardships and evolution…but there are times when even we can begin to believe we are cursed beings because of mutants who have given into their powers, letting themselves be controlled by a human instinct that all people are born with."

"Fear?" suggested Shadowcat, turning to face the large blue mutant.

"No," murmured Beast with a shake of his head. "Survival. Many use their powers for fear without them they will not survive. Magneto was driven by this instinct due to his ill treatment during World War II…he will not die by any hands but his own, and to do so means taking charge and making changes that he believes to be in the best interests of mutant kind."

Daytripper frowned as her eyes scanned the darkening sky. "But isn't he in control of his powers? I mean, the guy can topple buildings with a wave of his hand…if that's not control then I don't know what is."

"Aw, but that is the question, isn't it? Is Magneto truly in control of his powers, or are they in control of him?"

Nightcrawler bowed his head for a moment, his mind turning over Beast's words. "The very thing that drives his will is his need to be superior—to not be the weak child he once was. He is as human as a homo-sapien. We all are…as God's creatures we are all simply human."

"Exactly." Beast smiled wanly; glad to see that his point might have been gotten by at least one of his companions. For two years hope had seemed to dwindle for the combined X-Men and Brotherhood. United for a cause that would take its toll for years to come. If things were to get worse Beast was unsure as to how mutants would pull through…they had been put through so much already, losing loved ones to an unstoppable evil, and their hopes of saving the souls of those loved ones were growing weaker each and every day.

The small group walked slowly through the cobblestone square, treading carefully so as not to step on a body lying in their paths. They had come in search of the mutant Autumn Rolfson, now known as Famine. She had been making her rounds across the European continent, bringing hunger in her wake, starving so many to death, leaving them for dead, rotting in the streets.

Pinpointing her exact location had not been easy. A powerful psychic had been blocking Famine's every move, preventing Cerebro from finding the teen turned Horseman. And then suddenly, the psychic presence had vanished, allowing the Professor to find Famine and send a team out to stop her. None were sure as to why they were being allowed to find Autumn, but Scott was under the belief that Jean wasn't completely lost to them.

"Hey," said Blob suddenly, "I think I see that chick we came for."

Four pairs of eyes followed a chubby finger across the square, breaths sucking in at the sight of such a thin teenage girl with scraggly hair and rags barely hanging onto her frail body. Her large eyes seemed to take up the whole of her face, and she swayed on her feet as though at any moment she would fall and never get back up.

"Caution, my friends…she is not as fragile as she seems," whispered Beast.

Shadowcat gulped. "Any means necessary," she murmured, her voice so low that none caught exactly what they were. It didn't matter however, for each were thinking along the same lines, each afraid of what means they would be expected to engage in…each thinking back to the lifeless body of Plague being carried away by the Morlocks…

From across the square Autumn eyed the mutants without blinking. She knew why they were there. She knew they had come to stop her, and deep within her mind she was grateful for the disturbance, but the thought was so fleeting and so discreet that it vanished before the teen had time to mull it over. Her mind became blank, her only desire to see others suffer, to see others begging on their knees for food, for mercy, for a swift death…

"The end is near," she stated, her voice tired and firm at the same time.

"For those like you," answered Daytripper, balling her hands into fists.

"No…for you."

And thus the battle began.

**The Hellfire Club:**

Emma smiled coyly at the dark haired man sitting across from, eating his dinner without much enthusiasm. Her mind skimmed over his, frowning at the amount of grief he felt for his sister, believing she would get herself killed trying to defeat Apocalypse. Emma hated dreary thoughts, they only made her depressed.

"Don't look so glum," she murmured, reaching a delicate hand across the table to cup Brian Braddock's chin. "Things will get better for us all, you will see."

"How can you be so sure…we are on the losing side," pointed out Brian, his eyes locking onto Emma's.

She shrugged, tweaking his own mind to allow his eyes to wander over her body. He complied too easily. Basking in his attention, adoring where his mind was headed with such unbidden thoughts, she said, "We are the winning side. Phoenix, Rogue, and Apocalypse will only kill each other…and then the X-Men and Brotherhood will be no more…only the Hellfire Club will be left."

Brian's eyes flickered back to her own, now two pools of pure want and desire. Emma's smile became genuine as she allowed herself to pretend that she too was as in love with Brian as he now was with her.

"Come," she murmured, her voice soft and seductive, "let's think of other things tonight."

Needing no more convincing, Brian allowed himself to be pulled to his feet, and towards Emma's bedroom.

**Europe:**

Up above the battle, sitting atop a cathedral, was Rogue, watching the battle unfold without worry. For once she wouldn't have to engage in any fighting, she could just sit and watch as others did it for her. She wasn't too keen on going up against the hunger depraving mutant anyhow…her head was aching again, the result of too many personas bottled up inside her mind, all screaming to be free.

**New York City:**

Destiny's eyes fluttered open, widening as images seized her mind. Her mouth fell open, her hand going to her heart, feeling true fear for the first time.

Images flashed…they floated in and out of her conscious, toying with her soul. This was the future to come…or the future that could be…

A chessboard…a pawn…movement… and screaming…fire exploding in air…mutants running…then falling…convulsions…soldiers…hunters…guns…acid rain falling from the sky…fire…dust…death…a grave…a funeral…water rising…a boy… Rogue…two sides…a chessboard…

Destiny gasped for air, as the images stopped; her mind and senses returning to the present. What did it all mean?

**Europe:**

She had woken up that morning, burning up as though she were on fire. The hotel room had been encased in ice. Luckily Remy had been out looking for cigarettes, or else he would have frozen to death. It melted with a single touch, soaking the entire room, giving it a moldy smell. On her way to the bathroom to dress Rogue had short circuited the electricity of the entire hotel…and then had promptly phased through the bathroom door.

**Washington, D.C.:**

Graydon Creed was having a good day. The latest poll results had just come in…he was ahead by so many points that rumors were swirling the election was pointless at his point. He had already won the presidency.

He stood at his office window, glancing out at the cars driving in the street below. His vision, his longstanding vision of protecting the human race was finally coming true, and more and more people were siding with him. Finally, humans were seeing the truth that mutants were nothing but trouble. That mutants needed to be exterminated.

"And soon enough it will become law." Graydon spoke without mercy, without regret. His mind was already set. No mutant would live so long as he was President of the United States, and the one thing that crossed his mind, is that he would have full support of the American public.

**Europe:**

Out of control. That's what Rogue was. She was slowly losing control of her powers…she was losing faith in herself. She couldn't fight any longer. She was tired.

Caliban hadn't said a word since agreeing to come with Rogue. He only watched with solemn eyes. So solemn that Rogue couldn't decide if he truly pitied her or was hiding tears.

Making a fist with one hand Rogue leaned against a gargoyle atop the cathedral, her eyes gazing out at the sky rather than down at the fight below her. The time was drawing near…she could feel it. A new era would soon begin…but only if Rogue could regain control of her powers.

**New York City:**

Arclight gritted her teeth in pain, feeling a sharpness course up and down her arm from where the dart had hit her. Blearily she glanced up as a heavy footstep sounded beside her head. It belonged to a boot. A black boot.

Struggling to keep her eyes open, she allowed them to travel up the leg belonging to the boot, until she finally reached a face. Arclight frowned. She didn't recognize the man staring down at her.

"Well looky what we've caught ourselves…another mutant to do our bidding," said the man, his voice triumphant.

"Who…who are…you…"

"Your worst nightmare."

Arclight could feel the tranquilizer she had been shot with finally taking effect. Her mind was growing dark, she was losing consciousness. From somewhere beyond the man staring down at her another voice spoke.

"Welcome to S.H.I.E.L.D."

**Europe:**

"I can't keep doubting myself…I have to believe I'm going to beat him…I'm not going to lose."

"Are you sure about that?"

Rogue didn't need to turn around to know who it was. The deep voice, so gruff and filled with malice. It needed no face to send shivers up and down Rogue's spine. She turned slightly, only to eye the one intruding on her thoughts. Sabertooth stared back at her, his eyes glittering with hatred and raw power.

"Well, well, well," chortled Rogue with a small smirk. "Look who decided to wake up from his nap and come play with the big kids again. Did S.H.I.E.L.D. decide to let you out for good behavior?"

"Go to hell."

"I see…they've retrained you pretty well, Whiskers…I'm almost afraid of you."

Sabertooth snorted. "You should be. S.H.I.E.L.D. wants you."

"I wonder why. Think it has anything to do with the fact that you told them who my father is?"

"That's only a bonus. You've got enough powers to be made into a weapon."

"Lucky me."

"I'm only here to bring you in."

Rogue opened her mouth to shoot back another witty reply, but the words never left her mouth. From down below a single cry rattled her very core.

"Kurt!"

It was Kitty, screaming for all she was worth. Without turning to glance below Rogue knew what was happening. She could see it in her mind as though she were on the ground watching the events unfold. Sentinels had appeared. The latest models built by Trask, now under the direction of Apocalypse.

Kurt was surrounded by three, too tired and weak to teleport away, his body growing thinner because of Famine standing beside him.

Rogue was moving before her mind could finish processing the scene. Flying through the air like a bullet, she was shooting towards the ground, heading straight towards the sentinels like a missile.

She shot through the first one without flinching, tearing a hole through its massive chest, causing it to short circuit and topple to the ground. But Rogue kept moving, barreling into the second sentinel and laying it flat on the ground, watching as it turned to dust with a single touch. The third sentinel she didn't even have to touch, let alone look at, to know that it was no longer functioning. Its computer chip had been erased with a single thought, making it nothing more than a shell casing standing thirty feet into the air.

Rogue floated to the ground, her eyes watching Kurt's body, fear evident in her eyes. She was losing control not only of her powers, but of her emotions. She wasn't sure how much longer she would be able to hold herself together without going insane.

From behind Rogue came a growl.

**Meanwhile:**

Two figures stood side by side, their eyes burning with a black fire felt inside their souls. In front of them stood another figure, graceful and evil combined.

Her red hair blew in the wind, but she did not move from her position.

All three stood atop the cathedral, looking down below at a battle ensuing between Rogue and Sabertooth. The X-Men were still trying to detain Famine, especially with Nightcrawler out of commission.

"What next?" asked Death, his voice oddly detached.

"Chaos and destruction," answered Phoenix.

"He will try to stop us—to regain his hold on our minds," stated War, his voice detached as well.

Phoenix smirked. "Leave Apocalypse to me…your only concern should be not letting anyone get in your way."

Two heads bowed in reverence of the woman in front of them as she turned to face them, the wind dying out. Together the three mutants walked away from the spectacle taking place on the ground.

Below:

"Give up," hissed Rogue.

Sabertooth shook his head. "Never…my life depends on your capture."

"You can't catch me—no one can."

"Sounds like something your old man would say."

"I wouldn't know."

"Bitch."

"Asshole."

The pair was at a stalemate and they both knew it. Sabertooth couldn't defeat Rogue, and she wasn't willing to kill him off just yet. His mind and connections to S.H.I.E.L.D. could prove useful.

Sabertooth let out a growl, bringing a hand high into the air. He meant to try and stick his claws in her gut, but too many things happened at once.

A flash of pain seared through Rogue's brain, making her clutch her temples with a strangled cry. She dropped to her knees, vanishing in the blink of an eye as Sabertooth's claws swept through the air. The mutant he gutted turned out to be Famine, who had been sneaking up on Rogue to deprave the southerner's body of needed nutrients.

Beast opened his mouth in a silent cry of surprise as Famine's mouth widened, her body sagging as she fell heavily onto Sabertooth's sharp claws. Letting out a cry of anger, Sabertooth shoved the girl off his hand, not caring that his claws ripped flesh and bone from her body. Disgusted, he turned and walked away.

Shadowcat rushed to Nightcrawler's side, her eyes filled with tears. Daytripper pulled out a COM-link, trying to contact back up as Blob and Beast knelt by Famine's side.

By the time help arrived, Famine was dead.

Rogue was still gone.

**A/N—As of June 2, 2007, Chapter 54: Famine has been revised.**


	56. War

Disclaimer: Not mine

**Disclaimer: Not mine.**

**Chapter 55-War**

Her eyes, usually a sparkling green and full of spirit stared out the window vacantly. Her face was somber and her hair dull. She looked as though the very life inside of her had fled, leaving behind an empty shell in its wake.

Unable to take much more of this sobering sight Remy glanced away. His eyes, so full of despair and fear, closed so he could come to terms with the thoughts running through this tired head. The last three days had been spent wide awake watching over the fair creature in his life, now on the brink of total destruction.

The Cajun charmer had come to a devastating conclusion since Rogue had returned three days ago in a disoriented manner. It was one he was having a hard time coming to terms with because it only revealed a part of him—a part of him he had tried to keep buried for so long.

His Rogue—the girl he was slowly but surely falling head over heels in love with—was gone. The girl sitting beside the hotel window was not Rogue, at least not the one he had come know. No, this was someone else entirely made up of a mixture of minds, powers and personalities. She was an enigma unlike any other before seen.

And yet, despite this, Remy knew he couldn't turn his back on her, or abandon her to her fate. He would stay and help her in hopes that perhaps he could save her from herself. Remy was going to fight for Rogue even if she wouldn't fight for herself any longer.

A knock came at the door, but only Remy jumped at the sound. A soft sigh escaped his lips as he got to his feet and moved towards the wooden structure. He didn't bother glancing through the peephole, opting to simply pull the door open and allow the visitor in.

Sage stepped through the doorway, her eyes traveling to Rogue's listless figure beside the window before returning to Remy who was now leaning back against the closed door with a cigarette in his mouth.

"How long has she been like this?" inquired Sage.

"Three days."

"Has she said anything?"

"Non."

Sage sighed. "Where's Caliban?"

Remy shrugged. "Should I care?"

"He's better off with you than with Apocalypse."

"Maybe I'll look him up again."

"I thought Rogue had enlisted his services."

"Don't mean nothing, chère. She's been busy with that mind of hers." Remy moved away from the door and over to stand in between Rogue and Sage. He trusted Sage to a degree, but not enough to give her access to Rogue. "Now why don't you tell me why you came?"

"I'm on your side," snapped the other woman sharply.

"'Course you are."

Biting down on her tongue Sage waited a moment before saying, "I think I've found a way to destroy Apocalypse once and for all."

"I'm listening." Two heads turned to stare at Rogue in wonder. The southern woman was sitting up straight, a familiar spark in her eyes.

Remy felt his heart skip a beat and his mouth twitched in a smirk. "I think we're listening, chère," he murmured to Sage.

"Good."

**The Middle East:**

A woman screamed in sheer horror as a tall man stood over her, his hands raised over his head. She watched with no choice as he pulled his hands apart and brought them back together in a resounding clap of thunder. The ground began to shake and buildings began to topple. More screams echoed in the air as people tried to run every which way to avoid being crushed, but for many it was useless.

"I am the beginning and the end," stated the man brusquely. "I am War."

His dark eyes seemed to bore a hole into the woman at his feet as he finally noticed her. The fear in her eyes meant nothing to him. He glanced away saying, "Do not fear me. This is the future. This is _your _future."

The woman's scream became a silent cry of agony as the mutant stepped past her and continued down the street of the city. After so many years of fighting for land in the Middle East a mutant was the final cause of peace between two different groups of people…but it would be much too late to give thanks for that. A new kind of terror had just filtered into the country, and it would only take a miracle for it to be taken out again.

Atop a building Cyclops motioned for his fellow team mates to wait for his signal. They had been watching Abraham Kieros, or War as he was now being called, for quite some time. But they had been waiting for the go ahead from the Black Bird. Avalanche gritted his teeth but dared not refute Cyclops's role as team leader. Now was not the time to bring up past prejudices. They were only here for one reason. To destroy War.

Beside Avalanche Boom Boom cracked her knuckles. Her patience was wearing thin. It had been ever since the others had returned with the news that Famine was dead. The blonde was starting to believe that every battle with Apocalypse and his Horsemen at this point would end in death. Glancing to her right Boom Boom offered Magik and Cannonball as reassuring a grin as she could muster up. They all knew that the smile was fake. Things had been getting steadily worse around the mansion…hope was beginning to fade.

"Now," came a crackly voice over the COM link, pushing the team into motion. Dropping to the ground below Avalanche rolled his shoulders and began heading in the direction of War with the rest of the group right behind him.

"Remember, guys," said Cyclops with an urgent tone to his voice, "anything goes in this round."

"That's just the way we like it," replied Boom Boom with a dark grin.

New York City; S.H.I.E.L.D. Base of Operations

Fury stared at the four sheets of paper sitting on the desk in front of him. He had been waiting a long time for this, and now he was finally getting the o.k. He rubbed his forehead wearily and sat back in his chair to contemplate what it was he was about to do. After so many years of SHIELD being affiliated with Weapon X and other sinister projects Fury couldn't easily say that he was proud of his job.

In all honesty the man had absolutely nothing against mutants. Yes, some were bad, but others—like the X-Men—had proven time and time again that they were good. Was it really wise to start up a civil war between humans and mutants for the rest of their natural lives? Wasn't there a better way to go about things? Was there really no chance for peace?

With a sigh Fury sat forward in his chair and picked up pen from nearby. He had no choice in the matter this time simply because this was his job and it was something he was getting paid to do. He couldn't make the final decisions on how to go about dealing with mutants until SHIELD and Weapon X were separate entities…and that didn't seem likely once Graydon Creed won the presidency.

The sound of a pen scrawling across paper was the only sound to be heard for the next few seconds until Fury gathered up the four separate sheets and stood up. His eyes moved to the door as his assistant came through. She was on time as always. "Here are the papers to be faxed across the country, Sharon," he said softly. "Let's make sure every building in the country has them plastered in the windows."

Sharon nodded and took the papers from Fury, her eyes darting down to study them. "We're really going to resort to want ads?" she questioned.

"We don't have a fuckin' choice anymore. We need to catch the Wolverine, Lady Deathstrike, X-23, and the Rogue. They're the future of Weapon X—and our keys to keeping our jobs. What Creed wants Creed gets."

**X-Mansion:**

Xavier closed his eyes and allowed his mind to drift as he sat in his office. The day had been long so far, but only because Xavier had yet to sleep. How could he when two of his students were struggling against the powers within them? He felt like a failure to the ones who mattered most to him—the very students he had created this school for. It was meant to be a safe haven for mutants; a place where he could connect with the youngest minds and help them learn to accept their powers and use them for good…but it seemed he had lost his way so long ago with Jean, and now Rogue. He had tried to help Jean, and he would continue to do so when she was returned to them safe and sound…but would he be doing it for the right reason? And then there was Rogue. She was hard to connect with; hard to help. Could he ever help her, or would she continue to fight the fight alone?

His thoughts were interrupted by a tickling sensation at the edge of his mind. Frowning slightly the Professor allowed his mind to open itself to the far off thoughts seeking his attention.

_Professor? Can you hear me? It's Amara—and Roberto. We're…we're at Emma's mansion…and, well…she's planning something big. I don't know what, but she's been plotting and being super evil lately. I think she's trying to one-up the rest of the Hellfire Club and Apocalypse. I just…I don't know what to do. Roberto and I are stuck here. What can we do? Should we try to run away? It's bad enough trying to risk talking to you now, but Emma isn't here so no one should hear this. Oh, I hope you can hear me._

_Amara, it's okay. I'm here. Don't do anything until we can get you out of the Academy. I appreciate you telling me that Emma is up to no good again. I will be on the lookout for the next phase of her plans. Please be careful and know that we are doing the best we can on our end…_

Opening his eyes the Professor sighed. There would be no reply. He could sense Amara's thoughts breaking up. He supposed Emma had returned. He prayed Amara and Roberto would be safe. It was bad enough they had gone to the Academy—Roberto because of his father and Amara because she couldn't bear to be parted from Roberto. How long ago had this been? It seemed like only yesterday that it had happened…and yet a whole year had passed since then.

"Have we truly lost our way?" he murmured to himself. "Can we never go back to the way things should be?" Xavier glanced up at a knock on the door with a small sigh. He straightened himself in his wheelchair and sent a thought to the person on the other side that it was safe to enter. He couldn't let doubt cloud his every thoughts from here on out…he had other students to think about too.

**Back in the Middle East:**

"This is the hunk of junk that's gonna stop Apocalypse?" demanded Rogue tersely.

Remy shrugged as he reached through the broken glass casing to pick up a small stone dagger. "That's what Sage said."

"I don't trust her."

"Chère, you don't trust no one."

"Give me one good reason why I should. This is a dagger. It ain't big—it's small. What the hell is it gonna do to Pocky? Make him laugh? Ooo, great weapon. I can't wait t see the look on his face when I pull it out." Rogue scowled and crossed her arms in front of her chest. She had listened intensely when Sage had described an object so sacred that Apocalypse would fear whosoever held it in their hands. At first it had sounded too good to be true and now looking at the so called sacred object she and Remy had just retrieved Rogue knew hope had been too much in this case. The object in question was nothing more than a plastic knife against Apocalypse.

"Well ya never know chère. This might really be the answers to our prayers," replied Remy with a grin at her. He was relieved to see her back to her usual argumentative self. It meant that she wasn't completely lost to him yet…

"Fine. Let's take the damn knife and find Apocalypse. Where'd Sage say he was again?"

"Back in his tomb in Egypt. Sounds like we got ourselves a real family reunion coming up, eh, chère?"

"Yeah, the kind where the guest of honor gets himself killed," agreed the southerner savagely. Remy opened his mouth to protest but decided it really wasn't worth it. A blood thirsty Rogue was better than a zombie Rogue. He shook his head and turned to follow the brunette out of the museum. Sage had sent them to the Middle East, smack dab in the midst of all the chaos that had erupted as a result of War hanging around causing trouble. Luckily no one had seen them arrive, so leaving would possibly be just as simple.

Remy frowned as he had to force himself to not run into Rogue. She had stopped in her tracks directly outside the museum entrance. He glanced up to see why and stifled a groan. Standing at the bottom of the steps looking at them was War…and he didn't look happy to see them. Pocketing the knife Remy pulled out his deck of cards and waited to see how Rogue would react.

"I see you have found the stone dagger," pointed out War dryly.

"What's it to you?" snapped Rogue angrily. Behind War she could see the small and battered group of X-Men and Brotherhood forming a line. War himself didn't look as though he had been harmed at all.

"My mistress wants you dead."

Rogue creased her eyebrows as she struggled to come up with a name, realization dawning only seconds later. "Well isn't that sweet. Remy, did you hear that? Phoenix wants me dead."

"I hope that isn't supposed to be new news, mon ami, because we already knew about the firebird's little vendetta against Rogue."

War's face was stoic as he eyed the two mutants in front of him carefully. Neither one feared him and that wasn't how he liked it. "I will be greatly rewarded for bringing her your heads."

"Well sugar, you can go ahead and try," murmured Rogue with an evil smirk, "but I can almost guarantee you it isn't going to work." She lifted a hand into the air, lifting War off the ground and pulling him closer using powers that weren't originally her own. As soon as he was only inches from her face did she finally stop moving him. War struggled to free himself as Rogue tilted her head to one side. "Now what are you going to do, darling? It seems to me you're in a spot of trouble.

"Now let's review, shall we? You work for Phoenix, I work for no one. Phoenix is insane. I'm not. Who d'ya think is gonna win this battle then? Me, or you…or Phoenix? She should be more concerned about finding Apocalypse and killing him before I come after her." Rogue reached out with a bare hand to grasp War around the neck, her strength cutting off his air supply. He fought for breath but Rogue only tightened her grip, watching in mild amusement as her powers began to kick in, draining the last of his life force from him. Out of the corner of her eye Rogue could see her former teammates stepping forward in protest.

Leaning closer to War Rogue whispered, "You aren't the first man I've killed…and you won't be the last."

War's face was a cross between total fear and pain as he gasped for air. He tried to plead for mercy but no coherent words would leave his lips. Rogue watched him with no emotions showing on her face. His eyes slowly began to cloud over as his brain began to throb. His feet kicked in the air a few times, and then they became still. Rogue let her psychic hold over him go and watched as he fell to the ground in a crumbled heap. Her eyes moved upwards to gaze at the X-Men and Brotherhood members watching her in horror.

"I think it's time to go, chère," murmured Remy reaching forward to cup her elbow with his hand. Rogue nodded and promptly turned to face him.

"Next stop doomsday," she replied softly, her green eyes softening with a hint of sorrow. Remy couldn't speak due to a large lump in his throat, but he did nod in understanding, cupping both his hands around Rogue's face.

"Doomsday it is." And in the blink of an eye the pair was gone from sight.

**Hellfire Club, Massachusetts Academy, Boston:**

"I have a proposition for you, Viper," stated Emma as she poured herself a glass of bourbon.

"I'm sure you do," replied Viper with a roll of her eyes. "And it had better be worth my time."

"Oh believe me, it is. You see there is a man running for President right now. Graydon Creed. How I loathe him. Anyway, I think it's high time that man knew what kind of opposition he has in the public, don't you?"

"That depends. What kind of opposition are we talking about? I'm only an assassin, I don't do petty work."

Emma's blue eyes glittered as she brought her alcoholic drink to her lips. "I only had one thing in mind. I want Creed dead. He's a nuisance to the Hellfire Club—I want him taken out once and for all. If he were to live he would only screw up my plans more than he already has. My plans were already dashed when that ass of a man found out I was a mutant. I have high hopes for the future, Viper. If the Hellfire Club is to become the premier voice of the country I _need_ to be in high power…and I can't do that with Creed in my way, catch my drift?"

Viper studied the woman in front of her closely as if to try and find a flaw. The only thing that popped to mind was how…odd Emma Frost sounded. She sounded unlike the business woman Viper had met long ago. Back then Emma had been every inch of a professional as possible, but now…now the blonde woman seemed more of a desperate woman trying to regain lost ground. Something wasn't right about this entire set up, but Viper knew the consequences of turning down the White Queen.

"I'm in. When do you want me to kill him?"

"Right after he takes the oath of office. Let's see Robert Kelly Jr. squirm when he's forced to become the next President of the United States."

Standing outside the doorway Selene smiled to herself as she mouthed the words along with Emma. Things were going according to plan.

**On the Other Side of Boston:**

"I'm telling you I don't like this place. It gives me the creeps," muttered Morph as he glanced around nervously.

Sinister didn't reply right away. His own eyes were busy studying the dark surroundings of the alley way, wondering if coming to this rendezvous was the right thing to do. Not that he had much of a choice in the matter anyway. Apocalypse had screwed everyone over and it was high time the mutants who had brought him to power did something about it.

"I'm glad you two could make it," came a voice from further down the alley. Morph and Sinister turned in the general direction, awaiting the voice to step out of the shadows. As Sebastian Shaw stepped into a sliver of moonlight he said, "We have a lot to discuss."

**Egypt:**

Sage sat in her hotel room, her mind moving as fast as the speed of light. She had spent hours upon hours explaining to Rogue all about the stone dagger and how it would help her defeat Apocalypse when the moment was right. She had seen the doubt in the southern woman's eyes, but Sage knew what she was talking about. She was a walking computer for crying out loud. She wasn't likely to get things wrong any time soon.

Muttering under her breath Sage got onto her feet and started pacing up and down the room's length. It was Rogue that had her in such an anxious state. The girl was out of control, that was more than evident for the eye to see…but it was more than that that worried Sage. It was the potential within Rogue. The potential to be the most powerful being in the universe if she wanted to, though perhaps not as powerful as the Phoenix. But she was pretty darn close.

If Rogue destroyed Apocalypse like she was meant to do then things would return to relative normalcy…except, what would happen to Rogue? The southerner and Cajun both seemed convinced that Rogue would die at the end of the ordeal, but Sage wasn't so sure about that. With so many conflicting powers within her Sage was more likely to think that Rogue would only lose her mind…which could probably be likened to death in one matter or another.

But if she didn't lose her mind…and if she managed to keep alive…Rogue would be a very valuable tool for the future. Valuable and powerful.

Glancing at the phone on her bedside Sage moved back to sit on the bed and picked up the receiver, dialing as quickly as she could. She waited for the phone to stop ringing on the other end. There was only one place that someone so powerful would be needed or even appreciated…and with the Phoenix completely insane Sage had a feeling that second best would be acceptable.

"Get me the Black King—and tell him I've found us the future Red Queen."

**X-Mansion:**

Sitting on the cold tiles of the bathroom floor only made Mystique that much more aware of how horrible she felt at that very moment in time. Her head was swimming, her stomach was doing something that felt an awful lot like somersaults and tango dips, and her entire body shone with the unmistakable sheen of sweat.

For three mornings she had felt this way, and it didn't seem to be getting better. In fact, it only seemed to be getting worse than before—something that didn't sit very well with the blue shape shifter. She should be out fighting for her daughter's life, or sitting two floors down with her son as he healed; but instead she was still sitting on the floor of her bathroom counting every tick of the clock as time slowly passed by.

Yellow eyes closed and she bit her lip as her stomach did a quick dive up, down, and around. When she finally opened them again her eyes focused on the clock, taking note that it was time.

Pushing herself to her feet Mystique slowly rose to stand in front of the bathroom mirror hanging directly above the sink. Taking a deep, soothing breath the blue mutant glanced down and picked up a small white stick sitting atop of the porcelain in front of her. Her other hand reached towards the other side of the sink, grabbing hold of a small rectangular box. Together these two items were brought directly in front of her face for Mystique to scrutinize with every ounce of her attention.

A minute passed as her yellow eyes roved back and forth between the box and the stick. Then another. And another.

"Damn." She tossed both the box and the stick into the trash, knowing full well no one would even notice it when they took the trash out later that week. No one was capable of noticing very much considering all that had been going on the last few days. Everyone was in a state of panic and fear. Under normal circumstances Mystique would consider these things weak and human, but since it was her daughter on the front lines of battle Mystique was just as worried as everybody else.

She took the stairs two at a time until she reached the ground floor. Her eyes gazed around the hallway before starting off in the general direction of the library. She was intent on finding Magneto right away and confiding in him of her latest…dilemma. She wasn't sure whether he would be upset or pleased. He had always been a hard man to read and she had been his closest friend for so many years now…and more than just a friend.

Mystique found Magneto in the library bent over a table and book. A soft smile graced her lips as she moved towards him. He was always so serious when studying something. Her smile vanished as she realized that what he was studying was not the book, but a photo tucked inside the book. It was a photo of a tiny girl with the tiniest wisp of…green hair.

"Erik," she greeted coldly.

Magneto glanced up in surprise and hastily tried to hide the photo. He opened his mouth to say something but oddly found himself at a loss for words. "My dear," his words were interrupted as Pietro came whizzing inside the living room, Wanda several feet behind him.

"Just got word back from the others. Rogue was in the Middle East too—she killed Kieros without much effort," stated Pietro quickly.

Wanda snorted. "Then she vanished like always. She had a knife with her and Cyke's been busy trying to find something about it on the Blackbird's mainframe computer system. The Professor and Beast are also looking into it. They think it's important." The dark haired woman looked back and forth between Magneto and Mystique, noticing that something seemed to be wrong.

"What's going on?" asked Pietro as he too noticed the discomfort in the air.

"Your father has a baby picture of that green haired brat," muttered Mystique folding her arms across her chest.

"What green haired brat?" demanded Pietro turning to glance between his father and the shape shifter.

Wanda rolled her eyes. It was much too obvious who Mystique meant. "Lorna Dane. Now why on earth would you have a picture of her unless she was somebody important?" Her dark gaze turned towards her father, narrowing into slits as her mind came up with several possibilities—all of which she didn't approve of.

Erik cleared his throat as he tried to come up with the right words to explain what was going on. There would be no easy way to explain this…nor could he do it correctly. It was what it was and there was nothing that he, the Master of Metal, could do to make it any different.

"Lorna is my daughter."

Silence filled the room. Pietro's eyes widened as his own mind tried to fathom exactly what his father had just admitted. Wanda on the other hand only snorted. She had noticed something…many things in fact, that were too similar to her and Pietro, and even their father himself. Lorna's powers hadn't exactly been all that different from a certain someone. So while she wasn't surprised, Wanda did find her attention drawn to the set look on Mystique's face. She wasn't altogether fond of the blue shape shifter, but she knew that Mystique and Erik had a connection unlike any other she had ever seen. Wanda was under the impression that it would take something earth shattering to separate the two of them…and she wasn't quite sure that this would be it.

"Another one, Erik. Really, how many more children are you planning on surprising me with?" demanded Mystique darkly.

"Me? My dear, if I recall correctly, you have three of your own that you kept from me for many years as well. I never mentioned Lorna before because I had no idea she was still alive. Her mother had kept her mostly a secret, revealing that she had carried my child years after I had left her—she never mentioned that the child had lived, though she did give me a single photograph of her. Since discovering that Lorna is in fact alive and well I was only waiting to inform you of my connection to her."

"You bastard. Are there any more children hiding out in the woodwork that I should know about, or is that it?"

"You now know everything I have ever kept a secret," replied Erik calmly.

Mystique nodded, mostly to herself. Her yellow eyes studied the man in front of her studiously. Then she spoke. "Fine then. As soon as this mess with Apocalypse is all cleaned up you can make it up by marrying me. I won't have any more secrets between us—and the best way to guarantee that is to get married once and for all. I'm tired of being nothing more than a name in the dark. You will marry me, Erik, and then people will stop wondering why it is you and I are always at odds. Together we can be a team again. You got it?"

Erik was mildly surprised by the strict tone of voice that Mystique was using. He could only half comprehend what it was she was demanding of him. Marriage. He had never thought Mystique would be one to tie herself down to any one person, man or woman. The beautiful mutant was an enigma to him and he had thought she had been content with the way things were…but it was now apparent that she was dissatisfied with the way their relationship currently was.

"Of course, my dear. Whatever you want."

**Back in Boston:**

Emma rubbed her forehead gingerly as she walked into her study. She could feel the onslaught of yet another migraine—what it was from was beyond her. It was more than likely a cross between the large quantities of alcohol she had been drinking lately, as well as the long hours she had been doing. Things with Brian were progressing well; he had yet to move out of her room, which was something of a miracle considering Emma's track record with lovers was both long and short. She had kept many lovers over the years, but too many of them had lasted no longer than a day at most. Brian was quickly becoming a record holder in his place as her current boy-toy.

Blue eyes narrowed as Emma realized that her study was anything but empty. Sitting in a chair across from her desk was none other than Chris Aaronson…King Bedlam. He was the man currently in charge of her Hellions, but Emma hated him with a passion greater than love. He was too cocky and sure of himself for the blonde woman's liking. He thought he was equal to her and the rest of the Hellfire Club rather than the lowly man he truly was.

"What the hell do you want?" snapped Emma crossly. She moved over to her own chair behind her desk, glaring at the other man all the while.

"I'm tired of being left in the dark. I demand to know what's going on with the Club and the Phoenix. What's going to happen next?" questioned Chris just as crossly. "I want answers, Emma."

"Screw you. Who the hell gave you the right to come in here and start questioning me, my actions, or those of the Hellfire Club? We pay you good money to teach the Hellions how to use their powers—not to try and worm your way into a place you don't belong!"

"You're a royal bitch, you know that? I'm the one doing all the grunt work here—I work my ass off with those kids while you drink your petty little life away and pretend to play god with the Phoenix. If you don't start answering some of my questions then I just might take those precious Hellions of yours away and start up my own faction."

Emma snorted derisively as she reached for the vial of wine atop her desk. "Go right ahead, Chris, and see if I give a damn. The Hellions are not the future—neither are the X-Men. The Hellfire Club is the future, and I'll be damned if you think you can be a part of it. So go ahead and take those brats away and start up your own school. You'll find before long that it's harder than it looks to run a group of teenaged mutants."

Chris pushed his seat back, getting to his feet. His face was a mask of pure anger as he steamed from head to toe. "I'll see you in hell, Emma Frost."

"You're halfway there, darling." Emma lifted the vial of wine as if to toast the seething man, watching in pure delight as he stormed out of her study. "God, I can't say that I'm sorry to see him go. Ass. He'll be back before long, begging me to take him and those bratty kids back into the Hellfire Club." With another amused snort the blonde pulled the stopper out of her wine and tossed her head back to take a large swig of the liquid inside. As the alcohol coursed down her throat Emma could finally feel her body and mind relax.

**Egypt:**

"There it is," stated Remy softly, his words reaching Rogue with a soft breeze.

"There it is," repeated the southerner in general agreement. Her eyes studied the large pyramid before her, wondering what exactly awaited her inside. She glanced back at Remy, her eyes seeking out his as if for reassurance. Despite her usual demeanor the brunette couldn't help but question what exactly she was going to do upon walking into the temple in front of her.

Behind Remy Caliban stood with a solemn expression on his face. He lowered his head as if in prayer, his lips moving soundlessly. It was evident what he felt about the entire matter, and rather than anger Rogue it soothed her. Normalcy was something she had always craved and here she was finding it in a pair of mutants worried about the next step she took.

Her head glanced away from Remy to stare at the large sand brick structure sitting out on the dunes. Inside, somewhere, was Apocalypse trying to plan his next move towards total destruction and colonization. He was out to make himself the ultimate being in the world, and later the universe, and his time was quickly running out.

"You sure about this, chère?" questioned Remy after a moment.

"No." Rogue turned back to the Cajun with a small smile, her face softening with an angelic look. "But as long as I have you with me, Swamp Rat, I'm pretty sure I'll be fine."

Remy grinned, reaching out to pull the southern belle into his arms, wrapping his own around her tightly. It felt good to hear something so…normal come out of Rogue's mouth, and even though they were talking about their deaths Remy would take it any way he could.

Caliban watched the pair in silence, his eyes closing as his whispered words silently became audible. "Our father who art in heaven…"

**A/N—As of June 2, 2007, Chapter 55: War has been revised.**


	57. Death

**Disclaimer: **no, this does not belong to me, and I'm sure everyone is very much aware of that little fact…

**A/N I: **ahem. No, I'm not quite dead. I apologize that this has taken over a year to update. My personal life has been overly hectic and I've been without a muse as a result. I'm like a year away from being done with college, so that hasn't helped either. Lame excuses, I know, but I want to reiterate here and now that I will finish this story. Just bear with me as I sort out writing time and the like.

**--**

**Chapter 56 – Death**

Rogue grimaced as she placed a foot on the dirt floor of the temple. She didn't like the feeling the temple gave her. It wasn't just the unease that settled in her bones, it was the impending doom she could feel from within the depths of her soul. It made her more fearful than she already was, and fear was all too visible in the faces of Remy and Caliban as they too moved further into the temple. The trio had finally managed to take the long steps forward to enter the sacred temple of Apocalypse, bracing a dust storm and the shifting of the ground beneath their own feet to get inside. Apparently fate itself didn't like what was to happen within the ancient Egyptian architecture it had hidden for so many millennia.

"I don't like the quiet," murmured Remy as he eyed the ceiling of the temple nervously. Rogue couldn't help but smile at his mannerisms. As a thief he had never struck her as the type to be afraid of anything, normally running into things head first and without much thought; but now it seemed Remy was wary…it was as though he felt he was somewhere he didn't belong. It was rather ironic in a sense.

"It will be loud soon enough," replied Caliban with a world weary sigh. Despite his normally pallid features the mutant seemed even more sickly than usual, causing the smile on Rogue's face to falter. It pained her to see him resigned to death; it was only she that intended to die today…she and no other but Apocalypse.

Her fingertips traced the handle of the dagger she and Remy had retrieved from the Middle East. She had decided its presence was only a small relief to her otherwise troubled mind. At the moment the various personas in her mind had quieted, leaving only her as the sole occupant inside her head. The brunette had a dark suspicion this would only last for so long. The moment Apocalypse appeared the personas would clamor for her undivided attention, each one seeking to be the sole power behind the demise of the most powerful mutant in the world.

_Second most powerful,_ she amended to herself in a scolding manner. _The Phoenix is quite possibly more powerful than the Apocalypse…or will be if Jean lets go completely. Her powers are too controlled to be solely the Phoenix. Jean's still in there somewhere. I know she is…just like I'm still here._

Remy's eyes shifted to Rogue who seemed to be drifting away in her thoughts. It was times like these that he grew worried. When her mind wandered it usually meant someone other than Rogue was calling the shots up in that pretty little head of hers. Clearing his throat the Cajun asked, "You alright, chère?"

Rogue blinked at Remy's question, her green eyes refocusing as they moved in his direction. They seemed to twinkle for a moment as the southern belle stepped forward to wrap her arms around Remy's waist without a word. It was all the reassurance that Remy needed to know that for the time being Rogue was whole. He knew that it was only a matter of time before she let loose the chaos within her, creating another chasm of fate loose on the world.

**Outside the Temple**

A lone figure stood in the stand, his back straight like that of a soldier preparing for battle. He rolled his shoulders, causing the large white wings on his back to spread open before closing again. A single feather floated to the ground, but the figure ignored it. His mind was only focused on one thing, and that was the temple standing directly in front of him. Inside was the very person he had come to kill per orders of his true master.

At the same time however there was a tinge of doubt making its way to the forefront of the Archangel's mind. It was one of recognition and a rather deep emotion he vaguely remembered as something akin to love. This feeling had rushed upon him as he had watched the three mutants enter the temple a short while ago; most of it had resulted from the only female in the group. There was something about her that triggered a familiarity in the former horseman that he had couldn't quite put a finger on. It was as though he knew her. It was as though he couldn't bring himself to do what he had been ordered to do. Kill her.

From the west came a warm breeze sifting sand into the air and into the Archangel's face. He closed his eyes and allowed the warmth to refresh his skin before taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly. As he opened his eyes he forced the tug at his heart away. He was Death in its ethereal form. He had to be strong today. No woman, human or mutant, would make him question his job. He had very little choice in the matter anyway. Two more powerful than he wanted that female mutant dead, and if he didn't make good on his promise to get rid of her he himself would find his life forfeit.

Yet the Archangel could not make his feet move from their current position. A frown settled onto his face, and with great reluctance the man bent his knees and lowered himself to the sand. He would wait a few more minutes before entering the temple. In that time frame he was hoping he would be able to rid himself of the doubt gnawing at his soul.

**En Route to Egypt**

Pyro tugged at the igniter around his wrists, snapping the material up and down out of habit more than anything else. It was his indication that he was nervous, something rare for the Aussie. He had never been fond of flying before, and this time around was no different. It also didn't help that he was going with some of the very people he had tried to push out of his life forever. In the chair across from his sat Bobby. The two still hadn't spoken since the Brotherhood had ganged up with the X-Men two years ago. Sorting out their differences wasn't high on either of their agendas, though they did share the same concern over Rogue. Well, maybe not the same reasons. Bobby was looking to patch things up after screwing them up so badly; Pyro knew the Iceman blamed himself for Rogue's freak-out after she caught him cheating on her, and while the pyromaniac didn't mind seeing his old friend suffer under a shitload of guilt, it was getting rather old seeing Bobby beat himself up over nothing.

With a sigh Pyro glanced at Bobby before speaking. "It isn't your fault, mate."

"Huh?" Bobby looked over in surprise. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes you do. You think this whole thing is your fault, but it isn't. You're giving yourself too much credit, Popsicle."

Bobby narrowed his eyes at the name, but he wasn't too concerned about it as much as he was concerned about the rest of what Pyro had said. "My fault?"

"Yeah, you know the whole thing with Rogue. Man, I shared a room with you for months, I know how you think. You had the biggest crush on Rogue, but by the time you guys finally hooked up you were halfway over her. That's why you cheated on her. You can pretend it was because she was pushing you away, but that wasn't it. You never loved Rogue, not like you think you did. You were just infatuated with her for a while. I don't blame you, mate, she can get under any man's skin with just a look."

"Is there a point to this, John?"

"All I'm saying is just because you cheated on her with Carol doesn't mean this whole fiasco was your fault. Carol was looking for a fight with Rogue from day one, at least that's how I hear it. She would have started something up even without your help—you were only a pawn, mate. You weren't the reason Rogue flipped out—the Sheila's been wandering around with a few screws loose in that head of hers for a long time now, you can see it in her eyes."

"And what exactly am I supposed to be seeing?" demanded Bobby. "Rogue's not insane—"

"No, but she was never really there," replied Pyro softly.

Bobby opened his mouth, a form of protest already making its way to his lips when he slowly closed his mouth. From up front Psylocke and Lady Deathstrike exchanged glances as if they too knew exactly what Pyro was talking about. Lady Deathstrike turned around to see whether or not Bobby would argue against Pyro's point but the blonde seemed to be lost in thought.

"She's not lost yet," stated the Asian after a long moment.

"She was lost the day she became a mutant," muttered Bobby without bothering to look at the older woman. "She'll never be an X-Man."

Psylocke snorted. "That doesn't mean she's lost. It just means she won't ever be the person you'd like her to be."

From behind Bobby Magneto grimaced and then spoke, choosing his words carefully. "You act as though the girl doesn't have a mind of her own. Take it from someone who knows, my boy, Rogue is anything but lost—she has a clear plan in that head of hers on how to live her life as normally as possible. Thanks to you and your belief that humans will accept us Rogue has been unable to accept herself for what she is."

"Oh yeah?" demanded Logan from the cockpit. "And what would that be? A mutant-terrorist?"

"No, a mutant. Whether you know it or not she craves to be like everyone else rather than the only one who has to be extra careful of what she does. Rogue doesn't want to be a mutant you know, she wants to be a human, and she didn't get that belief from working for the Brotherhood."

"No," agreed Storm, her eyes fastened on the sky in front of her. "She got that from everyone else. We tried to be careful around her; we tried not to upset her; we made her feel fragile and confined. It isn't anyone's fault what happened, no, but we could have gone about accepting her and making her feel at home in a different manner."

Banshee made a face as he pulled at the seat belt around him. "You really think that would have made a difference, love?"

Storm was silent and no one else dared give an answer to the rhetorical question. It really didn't matter anyway. What was done was done; there was a final battle looming on the horizon and with it the fate of the world.

**Deep Inside the Temple**

"It is the only way, my liege. You must fight her – she _can _be beaten – she's a mere mutant girl, no match for you." Sage spoke in as soothing a voice as she could muster. Her goal was to placate the great mutant in front of her to go into battle with Rogue, and the goal behind that was entirely unknown. Sage only worked for her own reasons, no more, no less. It was no surprise that her loyalties were shrouded in mystery yet again, even if it did seem as though she was currently aligned with the Hellfire Club. She had no real care for sides so long as she was paid at the end of the day. Sage had gone without money before, as well as a roof over her head and people who cared about her, and after that trying experience she had vowed never to do so again. It wasn't the life for her. Of course, one could argue that the current life she was living, the one in the shadows helping fate go its natural course and all that followed was no life either, but Sage had never been one to care for public opinion before now, so it wasn't likely she would really give a damn what anyone thought.

"The prophecy says she will kill me," stated Apocalypse bluntly, his eyes gazing beyond Sage's head from his position on his throne. He had been in a type of void since learning that yet another of his Horseman had been defeated and killed. One girl – that was all she was, one girl; and yet, she was slowly becoming everything he had secretly feared she would be come – his destroyer.

"Her mind is unsteady," replied Sage. "She can barely remember her own name let alone how to destroy you. My bet is that she'll go insane in the middle of battle and end up fighting herself – all those voices in her head can't be good for her sanity, even you can see that."

"For all I know the voices could be what keeps her going."

"Then you will hide? She _will _find you. She's here, even now. Rogue won't let anything stand in her way of destroying you – she really has nothing else to live for."

"She's just as human as the rest of her teammates."

"The X-Men? The Brotherhood?" Sage shook her head. "She's her own goddamn army. She doesn't need a team to back her up – hell, as far as I can tell she hasn't let human emotion dictate her actions for the last two years. That girl is far too dangerous for you to let walk this planet any longer. It's time you fought for what is rightfully yours – your throne."

After a long moment Apocalypse turned to study Sage, his eyes glinting in the ray of sunlight that was poking through a hole in the bricks above. His face was stoic however, and he didn't dare utter a sound. Silence loomed.

**The Other Side of the Temple**

"He's already here," stated Rogue flatly.

Remy made a face. "You didn't think he _wouldn't_ be here, now did you, chère?"

"I don't know what I thought," admitted Rogue with a small sigh, her eyebrows furrowing into a frown on her face. She closed her eyes for a moment, causing Remy to crease his own forehead with worry lines. It seemed every day more was filled with inner turmoil for Rogue, and while he knew there was that too high of a chance that she would be killed in this final battle, he still worried over the toll the many powers running through her veins would ultimately have on the southern belle. "I can feel you staring, Swamp Rat."

"Just want to make sure you're alive sometimes, chère."

"And staring does this how?" responded Rogue glibly, a glimmer of her former self peeking out as she opened a single eye to study the Cajun thief.

"Well, I figure it like this – if you talk back because you feel my eyes taking your clothes off then you're alive and we're okay."

Rogue opened the other eye to give Remy a dubious look and a shake of her head as she slowly turned to move further into the temple. There were too many times that she didn't know why she even bothered to ask him any questions. It was like that saying – ask a stupid question and get a stupid answer. With Remy it was more like ask any question and get a stupid answer. Where the Cajun came up with half the things that flew out of his mouth was beyond her imagination, but she also knew that she wouldn't have it any other way.

Yet there was a tinge of worry within her when it came to Remy. They had been together for close to two years now – and in more ways than one. They hadn't exactly given their relationship an actual definition; mostly because Rogue had made it very clear from the very beginning that she wasn't in it for the long haul. But every day more she was starting to see that living without Remy would be out of the question. The thief had stolen her heart, and here he was about to let her, albeit unwillingly, kill herself off in the name of some sort of demented justice. It was too much for her tender mind to take at times. Was it love? Rogue wasn't even sure what love really was. How could she considering all she had gone through in her short life? Her adoptive parents had loved her, but that was a genuine affection sort of love, not at all the hardcore love of true parents. She supposed Mystique loved her – despite all the woman had done to Rogue it too had all been in some sort of demented version of love. The woman had only tried to do what was best for Rogue, even if it wasn't all that good. Logan … well, Rogue wasn't quite sure what to make of him. He obviously held some sort of soft spot for her, otherwise he wouldn't have been so protective of her in their short time together – it was probably love, but Logan was still a new aspect of her life, one in which she hadn't actually experienced for very long. Then there was Kurt. Thoughts of him always brought a smile to her face; he was such a sweet guy. Rogue had to admit she honestly loved the blue fur-ball, even if she hadn't yet made up her mind about either of her parents.

So what about Remy? He had become such a large part of her life – and she had already decided she wanted him to stay in it. But did that mean forever? It was a frightening prospect for someone like Rogue. She had only allowed herself to become this close to him due to her being able to control her powers – though that was due to Apocalypse. Part of her was hoping that she would die in the battle with Apocalypse if only to prevent the inevitable – not being able to be with Remy in the correct sense of a relationship. The last two years had not done much to vanquish that childish need to love and be loved in every sense of the word. Rogue craved human touch – and two years of it would kill her if she ended up back where she had started – cursed.

So in a way, yes, Rogue did love Remy, and it was that realization that stopped her in her tracks, freezing time around her. Behind her she could hear Remy explaining to Caliban all the ways in which he could test whether or not Rogue was alive – going into details that would normally just piss the southern belle off, but it seemed so far away. Rogue stared ahead into the darkness, her thoughts no longer as focused on the destruction of Apocalypse as they were on a certain Cajun. It was quite possibly the worst moment of her life, for either turnout would tear Remy from her.

**New York City**

Irene had woken from her nap only twenty minutes before the hour. It was close to midnight, meaning it was daylight elsewhere in the world. That mattered very little to her. What mattered was that the migraine she had been trying to get rid of was still very much with her, making her life all the more difficult. As if being blind wasn't enough she had the constant agony of headaches and migraines – all preludes to something bigger: visions.

Since coming into her powers the red head had never really gotten used to being able to see possibilities of the future. She had never been bold enough to claim them as fact – all visions could change if a player in them was able to change a course of action. No one's fate was set in stone. Perhaps this was what bothered her. As the mutant Destiny Irene was supposed to be able to see things that would be in order to help those on her side. For as long as she could really recall she had only been seeing things for Magneto and the Brotherhood, most of which had been at the behest of her friend Mystique. Thus far not many of her visions for this particular side had come to pass. Too much had come into the picture and intervened like the X-Men, the Hellfire Club, and Apocalypse – all of which had changed one vision after another to make an entirely different picture in the end. It was that lack of control over fate that made Destiny feel truly powerless in regards to her powers.

And yet the visions continued to come. Of late she seemed to be having more and more of them, a possible result of the looming battle she had foretold so long ago. The blind clairvoyant was of the belief that Rogue would win, though she wasn't certain how that would come about. The younger woman was a bit of an enigma at this point. Hell, if Irene wanted to be truthful all people aside from Mystique were complete strangers to her. She had never allowed herself to get close to anyone for fear of seeing something that could possibly never be undone. Irene had seen so much death in the past that it hardly made for a good reason to make friends if she might see their death as well. What did one say to another when they saw something like that looming on the horizon? It certainly wasn't a conversation starter. Unfortunately as a result the woman hardly knew the people she was siding with in the mutant crisis. She barely even knew herself. Visions had taken over any form of life she could have made for herself.

With a sigh the woman straightened herself on the couch from whence she had awoken. A hand went to her forehead, rubbing it gingerly as she tried to ease the pain within. This time around the migraine seemed worse than ever, something that Irene knew to mean that this particular vision in the making was going to be a big one. It had only happened a few times before. Most of the visions that Irene had were trivial in comparison to the grander scheme of things; when she did manage to have a vision on a grand scale it was as though the woman could feel fate shifting right around. It wasn't a pleasant feeling to be sure, so it was only natural that Irene would find herself dreading whatever was to come.

And then it happened; the vision came. Irene could almost feel the axis of the earth slowing down as pictures filtered through her brain, each one stronger than the last. Almost immediately the blind woman knew what was to come. One side stood the X-Men; on the other stood the Brotherhood of Mutants. Only one would harness a power greater than all that of the universe.

And there would be death on both sides as a result.

But that wasn't what scared Destiny the most; death was a natural part of life. It happened every day. No, what scared her was that this time around death would be welcome in comparison to what was to come.

This was only the beginning of an evolution unlike any other.

**Egypt**

The temple seemed darker now. One possibility for this was the fact that there seemed to be very little light left in the torches on the wall. Something had caused them to go out, and whatever it was would remain a mystery for as long as Rogue chose it to. Her eyes were instead focused on a large pair of stone doors directly in front of her. She had finally ventured into the very heart of Apocalypse's temple, and now she had reached her destination. All she needed to do was go in and begin the battle that would change all their lives forever.

Or so it was said.

Rogue was of the belief that this particular battle wouldn't matter very much. There had to be something worse out there than Apocalypse. Humans still hated mutants, if not more now than they had previously, and why not? Mutants hated them back. It was a natural pecking order, and without it the southern belle wasn't quite sure what the world would do. There had always been some form of prejudice and war in the world. It was possibly what made the damn thing go round every so often.

Reaching up a hand to push open the doors the brunette had to let it fall back to her side as a small cough caught her attention. Turning around the teen found herself face to face with none other than her parents; Remy and Caliban already seemed to be under the watchful eyes of their companions from the jet.

Pursing her lips together Rogue could only cross her arms before her chest and eye Logan and Mystique with disdain. "Y'all know how to make a girl annoyed, did you know that?"

"That's what parents do best, darling," replied Logan with a shrug. He flexed his fingers as though he were itching to move forward, possibly to hug Rogue or something. The southern woman sort of doubted it considering Logan wasn't the most emotional of people. It was more likely that he wanted nothing more than to shake some sense into her for what she was about to do.

"You can't stop me. Destiny already foretold what was to come; I have to go in."

Mystique frowned even more. "The woman hardly gets anything right with her visions. I have a feeling she isn't going to be one hundred percent on the nose on this one either."

"Let me guess, we all make our own fates? Hate to break it to you, but I've already decided to follow that one. It's kind of the reason I'm standing here right now. This is my choice; you can't tell me otherwise."

"And why not?" demanded Logan, his eyes turning to Mystique with a hint of accusation in them. "I thought you told me parents had more leeway with their kids."

"I said they should, not that it always happened that way. She's more your child than mine, I hope you know. All that independence comes from you, Logan, not me."

"This coming from a woman who decided not to tell me about my kid until seventeen years down the road."

"Oh please, I did you a favor by hiding her from you. I highly doubt you would have made a great father to a tiny tot – you're not suited for fatherhood."

"Oh, and you were suited for motherhood? That's right, you weren't – you were the one that handed her off to strangers on their doorstep and let the old tin can get to her before you could step in. Remind me to write that down for the speech I'm giving when you win mother of the year."

"Good god." Rogue rolled her eyes as she eyed the feuding pair in front of her. "You two do know that you both suck in the way of parenting, right? Does it really matter who I take after? If I don't destroy Apocalypse we're going to end up in the midst of a mutant holocaust. Now, I don't know about you, but I'm pretty sure we don't want that to happen. Besides, I helped cause this mess; I should at least take up my place to put an end to it."

"Alone?" questioned Mystique softly. "Rogue, we can help you. I know that I'm not quite the person to hear this from, but sometime teamwork is the best option available, and while I can understand your doubts given the past under both the X-Men and Brotherhood, I don't think you understand what's at stake here. Yes, you've made mistakes, as have we all … but you're not alone. You don't have to do this alone. We can help you. We can work as a team and stop Apocalypse. You just have to let us in; let us help you."

Rogue shook her head. "It's my burden to bear."

"You really think that, Stripes? You think with all those voices running around in your head you can really stop big and ugly all on your own? What kind of team do you have here, an albino and that fast talking Cajun rat? I don't they're going to much help. But add in a few battle-hardened souls like the rest of us and I think you stand a chance at beating that guy. I know you can. You're not as dumb as you make us think you are at times, kid. You know you can't do it alone. Don't make the same mistake I made. Don't pretend you're unbreakable, because you are. Everyone is."

It wasn't the greatest pep talk Rogue had heard before, but for now it was something. Logan's word had sense behind them, odd as that was to believe. Even the words that had come out of Mystique's mouth seemed to make sense. Rogue wasn't truly alone. She supposed in a way she never would be. It was more than the many voices and personas running around in her head on a regular basis; that was unlikely to be something she would ever get rid of. No, it was the fact that Caliban and Remy had come this far with her without her even asking. It had been an unspoken agreement between the three of them that they would go into the chamber with Apocalypse together. Would she really have been the only one battling the ancient mutant in there? Thinking on it now told the woman it was hardly unlikely.

Which meant one thing: she was still afraid to go it alone.

She still believed she could be helped.

Rogue still believed she could be saved.

"If I let you come in you have to promise to actually attack Apocalypse and not each other," stated the petite brunette after several long moments. "I'm not taking time out of my little date with destiny just to break up any fights the two of you might try starting up because there's a battle going on and no one else might see what you're doing."

"I suppose I can live with that," murmured Mystique, her eyes sizing up Logan beside her. "He isn't worth my time anyway."

"Keep telling yourself that darling," replied Logan without bothering to look at the shape shifter. "But I won't be held responsible for where my claws go if she gets in the way, do you hear?"

"It's better than nothing," muttered Remy from a few feet away. The Cajun flinched under the glare directed his way from two pairs of eyes. "Chère, I think maybe we ought to keep your parents away from little old me as well."

"Good luck with that, they're like bloodhounds when they really want to be." The voice seemed to come out of thin air and out of nowhere Kurt appeared with a rather dazed looking Laura at his side.

Rogue had to shake her head, her lips pressed tightly together. "Would anyone else like to join this little sideshow too, or is this all of you coming?"

"The rest of the team is coming on the other jet," said Laura with a shrug. "I sort of threatened Kurt to get us here first. I don't want to miss any of the real fun."

"Right, because battling one of the more powerful mutants on the planet should be a barrel of laughs," agreed Rogue.

"You laugh now, but wait until you get back to that thing you call the Danger Room – it sucks. I've been going up against a bunch of nothings for the past two years while you got to play for real. Logan won't let me out of the mansion."

"For good reason," stated Logan gruffly. "You're almost as bloodthirsty as Rogue when she's got a few voices loose in her head."

"Which makes her the crazier one," whispered Kurt in an aside to Rogue. "At least you have an excuse for being crazy … Laura doesn't."

"I heard that." Laura directed her baleful gaze at the blue mutant, causing him to shrink back in the direction of Remy. There was always hope that if the tiny creature known as X-23 decided to attack him she might miss and kill Remy instead, which would really be a good thing as it would then prevent Rogue from hanging around the loser Cajun all the time.

Shaking her head with a wry smile on her face Rogue turned back towards the doorway, her hands moving upwards to be placed upon the smooth stone. She knew that it would be now or never, and that whatever happened next would decide her fate and that of all mutant and human kind. It wasn't a good feeling to bear, but the southern woman knew that she ultimately had very little choice. She closed her eyes for just a moment, letting out a small breath of air to steady her wild nerves. Her fingers itched with a need to bear the power within her, already working to call forth the many skills she had obtained in the last two years. It was a troublesome little itch, and one in which the brunette forced at bay before opening her eyes again.

Then she opened the door.

The first thing to greet her sight was Apocalypse standing on the other side. Somehow Rogue had known that he was already there, waiting for the inevitable just as she had been, but she still took an unsteady step backwards as though she hadn't expected this greeting at all. Perhaps her fear of death was the cause, for Rogue knew that in order to defeat the being in front of her she would have to show no fear, and already she felt that perhaps that part of her had failed. Apocalypse had to know that he had the upper hand – Rogue was the one standing in front of a makeshift army of mutants, he alone on his side.

_It was a mistake to have let them stay. I should have sent them into limbo or somewhere equally as safe. I won't be able to live with myself if I lose them all … _

The humane side of Rogue that she had been dueling for two years came forth with a vengeance, causing the woman to turn around ever so slightly and gaze at the faces of the ones she loved. She couldn't do this; that much was evident in her eyes.

Remy saw this immediately and sprang forward as Apocalypse raised a glowing hand. He tackled Rogue to the ground, cursing under his breath as broken stone hit part of his shoulder. Apocalypse had let loose a hail of power, causing the rest of the group of mutants to get out of the way.

"Damn it all to hell, chère. You just had to lose that wild side of yours now, didn't you?" demanded Remy as he pushed himself off of his lover. He was harsh in tone; something he hoped would piss her off enough to lose control. Even he could tell the powers she struggled to control had abated in this moment to give the southerner peace of mind. Of all the times for it to happen, now was the worst of all. They needed her to be raw and uncontrolled if they were to defeat Apocalypse – it was the only way to survive.

"I can't do it, Remy," murmured Rogue, her head shaking as she glanced back up at the Cajun with more fear evident in her eyes. "That's not who I am – it's never been who I am … I'm not a killer. I shouldn't have to do this! I never asked to be cursed with my powers – I never wanted to be a mutant!"

"Some things you can't change, Rogue – like who your parents are, who you fall in love with, who you piss off without meaning too – it's all a part of something bigger than we will ever understand. When fate has something in store for you, you can't just fight it, you have to let go and just live. Don't keep denying who you are!" The Cajun flinched as the sound of Logan letting out a rough cry reached his ears. A quick glance over his shoulder told the former thief that the rest of the group was trying to give Rogue some time to pull herself together by attacking Apocalypse on their own. They wouldn't last long, that much Remy was certain.

With her mouth open ever so slightly Rogue listened to what Remy was saying. She knew he was right, she knew what she needed to do, but she simply couldn't make herself call forth the power within. For the first time in two years she felt at peace with herself … she was finally in control. Sure she could still feel the unchained power in reserve waiting for her to call it forth, but it was just so easy to simply ignore it as though it didn't exist. This was part of what she had wanted for ever so long now – to feel safe in the arms of the one she loved, never fearing she would lose her mind completely and let go of all that she had been working towards.

_I'm the only one that can defeat Apocalypse._

Her own thoughts couldn't move her however. It was becoming something of a lost cause, and Remy could see that as well. He opened his mouth to blast Rogue for finally getting a hold of herself, but found he couldn't do so. He loved her too much to force her to her death, one in which he would never forgive another soul for. Instead the Cajun pulled Rogue into his arms, tightening his grip around her. It was quite possibly going to be the last time he could do this – Apocalypse was simply going to crush them all and be done with it, and if Remy was going to die he was going to do so with the one he loved.

"I won't make you do it, chère," he whispered hoarsely. "I can't."

"I know." Rogue closed her eyes, tears stinging the lids as she wrapped her own arms around Remy. She was making the wrong choice. It was more than apparent, but Rogue didn't care. How many times before had the southerner ever really made the right choice? She had gone with the Brotherhood when she should have really gone with the X-Men; she had trusted the wrong people, cared for those she knew she could never love, and hated the ones that she now loved the most. Rogue was the epitome of misfortune. She knew that, and for this she was willing to sacrifice all for one moment of selfishness. She figured she was insane to do such a turnaround in so short amount of time. Only moments ago Rogue had been stating that she had to do this because it was a part of her destiny, and now here she was blatantly turning her back on it.

And even as Rogue knew she wanted to make the wrong choice, she also knew she needed to do the right thing.

It was quite the complication. Her soul was torn between following her head and heart. Each one led down a different path, each one bringing her to a different result. To choose between the two was a terrible thing, but Rogue knew that she only had so much time left before she had to do one or the other.

Or was it too late?

How many times in the past had she chosen one thing and felt she could never undo it again? Her past had taught her that with ever action there was a reaction, every cause had an effect, and for every mistake there was a chance for redemption. She only had to know where to find it … or to simply stumble across it by accident.

But would she be able to do so this time around?

Rogue didn't think she could.

A loud roar, like that of an angered battle cry interrupted her thoughts, causing the petite mutant to glance upwards. Standing over her was Apocalypse, his arms batting away the rest of her friends that tried to attack him in futile desperation.

"You can't run from me, child!" cried out the powerful mutant with a rage unlike any he had ever expressed before. "Fight while you have the chance – don't sit back like a coward and let me have this moment of glory – you do your prophecy a disfavor by doing so!"

Remy maneuvered his body around to be in front of Rogue's, his hand taking out his ever faithful bo-staff from his coat. He was working on a witty comeback when the mighty Apocalypse flew backwards, a giant bullet like object striking the creature in the chest. For half a second the Cajun thought Rogue had flown up from behind and attacked, but a quick peek behind him showed that his pretty bride-to-be-against-her-will was still very much behind him. Doing a double take Remy focused his attention on Apocalypse only to see none other than Angel battling the giant mutant with a fury all his own. An ironic grin worked its way onto Remy's face. "Old boyfriend of yours, chère?"

"… yeah."

"I don't like him then."

"Neither do I."

Both Rogue and Remy glanced upwards to where a new voice had originated, and finally Rogue began to feel her blood stir with the ever familiar itch for power.

Phoenix had arrived.

Before Remy could say another word Rogue was in the air, her hands gripping Phoenix around the throat as she bulldozed into the red headed woman.

"You're mine!"

And thus the battle for all matters of evolution changed.

--

**A/N II: **I know this chapter is a bit everywhere, and for that I apologize, but it's been difficult getting back into the swing of things for the story. Again, I'm sorry about the wait, hopefully the next one won't be as long. As such, a favor: I'm in need of a beta in order to keep me going with the story, especially as there's a lot going on that I need to hash out with another. If someone would like to help me out, let me know – thanks!


	58. Doomsday

**Disclaimer:** Marvel owns the characters; I'm merely borrowing them.

**A/N:** Does anyone else cringe when they read some of my earlier chapters, or is that just me? I spent six hours going through the entire story, actually reading it, to refresh myself on what has happened thus far. Then I spent an hour going through my notes for all the upcoming chapters before restarting this one. It was half finished when my computer crashed and I lost it all those months ago, but I think it turned out better in the second go. Thank-you to everyone for being so patient, I know it was a long wait.

**Chapter 57 – Doomsday**

Remy moved quickly, keeping Rogue in his line of sight as he skirted the edge of the battlefield. His other eye was on Apocalypse, who was still engaged in a fight with Angel. Remy didn't know how the angel boy was able to keep going; it wasn't like he was a match for Apocalypse – but Remy wasn't going to stop and question it either. He only had this one chance, and he was going to take it.

It had been a no-brainer the moment Rogue had gone after Phoenix. In that singular moment he had realized that whether she knew it or not, Rogue's vendetta against the possessed redhead clouded her judgment. She had come to the temple with every intention of taking out Apocalypse, but the moment Jean had arrived, Rogue had forgotten her mission. In a sense Remy wasn't surprised. There was always a little more life to her when Jean was around, just as Jean seemed to have a little more life in her as a result of Rogue being nearby, too. For better or for worse the girls had a connection… But Remy couldn't worry about that quite yet either.

This would probably be the only chance they got to turn the tides of war. It was a sobering thought, made even more so by the fact that Remy had no idea how the damn dagger was supposed to work. Sage had only suggested it, giving a brief history of the damn thing, and Remy had more or less tuned out. It didn't look very imposing, but perhaps there was more to it than met the eye. He didn't have the ability to sense power, and he didn't have time to try and find Caliban in the melee. Remy would just take his chances and hope that that inserting the dagger somewhere on Apocalypse's person would do the trick. And if not… well, Remy could only hope that his death would be swift and painless.

In the air Rogue was crackling with power. Rather than fight the powers held at bay by the mental barriers in her mind, she had let them sweep over her, giving her access to every single one of them at the same time. But even with that much power within her, Rogue found herself gritting her teeth as Phoenix sent a wave of energy at her. Rogue was able to deflect it, but the pressure sent her reeling backward a few feet. It wasn't a pleasant feeling. Despite the times she had bested Phoenix before, it didn't seem as though she was gaining the upper hand this time.

And Rogue knew why.

She was afraid. It was hard to admit that to herself, but she was afraid. The reasons varied; with the powers came the personas, each one fighting for total control of her; there was the fear that she wouldn't make it out of here alive, or that she might fail those below – people that were counting on her to win; and then there was the fact that Rogue had accessed all the powers of people she had drained… save one.

"You are no match for me," said Phoenix, a dark laugh cutting off Rogue's thoughts. The southerner didn't reply. Of all the powers within her, there was one she feared most of all. She could still remember the last time it had tried to take control, and how much it had taken for her to fight it. She had barely won that time. What made her think she could do so again?

_What makes me think it even matters? We'll all be dead by dawn,_ she thought to herself, her eyes sweeping over the battlefield alone. The small group of X-Men that had arrived were scattered across the temple, using their powers against Apocalypse, likely trying to save Angel before he got himself killed.

"Looking for someone in particular?" asked Phoenix, her voice mocking Rogue. "Your attachment to him has weakened you."

Rogue still didn't answer. She didn't have to. They both knew already knew what the answer was, and it was the reason why Rogue seemed to be hesitating on her next move. She felt herself torn – torn between the mission she had come to complete, and the loathing she felt for Phoenix. She couldn't think of Phoenix as Jean, because though she looked like her, she was nothing like her. But it _was_ Jean. It was a part of her that had been locked away for so long before being set free. She had known about it in some respects, had feared it, and now couldn't seem to fight the part of her that had taken hold. Rogue didn't know how many people had known about this part of her, but she couldn't dwell on it. She couldn't think of her as Jean, or else she would falter, and everyone would die.

Phoenix seemed to revel in Rogue's silence, the sinister smile on her face widening. Her obsession with besting Rogue, in ultimately destroying her, clouded her own judgment. She was focused solely on tormenting the other woman, and she took Rogue's silence to mean that because of her own human nature, Rogue couldn't compete with her. It gave Phoenix a thrill, one she wanted to draw out.

Her own eyes scanned the ground, landing on the lone figure of Gambit. He was almost behind Apocalypse now, blending into the shadows as best he could. Phoenix studied the dagger in his hands. She didn't know what it was for, or what it would do, but she didn't care. The fate of Apocalypse hardly mattered to her. "I don't think your lover is going to last the night," she said, her finger pointing down at him. Energy burned at the edge of her fingertips as though she intended to shoot it at Gambit. Rogue turned in time to see it, shooting through the air quickly.

"Don't!" she said, her hands wrapping themselves around Phoenix's wrist, twisting it away from Remy. "Stop it! Just stop it!" A sudden tiredness seized Rogue, and words tumbled out of her mouth. "Is this just a game to you? Don't you see what's going on down there? Our friends are fighting for their lives, trying to battle a mutant they can't defeat! The only ones capable of fighting Apocalypse are us!"

Phoenix snarled, trying to wrest her arm out of Rogue's grip, but Rogue only tightened it. She yanked Phoenix closer to her, looking straight into her eyes. "I know you're in there, Jean. You have to fight to come back. We _need_ you. _I_ need you. I can't do this alone. I don't even know what I'm supposed to do. I'm tired – I'm tired of the voices, of the memories that aren't my own. I want it all to go away. But I need you to help me. I need you to come back, Jean, because if you don't, it'll be just me, and I'll fail. I'll fail and he'll take control. He'll _destroy_ you the moment I'm gone, and you know it. Fight, Jean. _Fight_!"

**New York City**

"Mutants will be the death of us!" The voice boomed across the loudspeakers, echoing across the gathered crowd. Murmurs of agreement rippled like a wave, going from one side to the other. Gabrielle was quiet where she stood. She couldn't remember why she had come, but now that she was here, she felt it had been a big mistake. With everything going on across the world it was no surprise that humans were gathering in fear. Even Gabrielle was afraid of what might come to pass.

But she was even more afraid of what would come should the X-Men be victorious against Apocalypse. The last two years the planet had lived in fear, giving anti-mutant groups more fodder for their cause. In some ways she could understand it. As a human she had no way to protect herself from a human. Her tie to Xavier could only go so far, and would likely mean nothing to mutants outside of New York itself. Alone, Gabrielle wouldn't stand a chance going against a mutant with superpowers. And it was that sentiment that many other humans shared, giving them reason to want to do something to protect themselves from the mutant population.

It was easy to want to give into those fears. They would probably all die if Apocalypse won… and if he didn't, mutants would be in for a lifetime of harassment at the hands of the human race.

Gabrielle turned away from the crowd, intending on returning to the mansion. She didn't need to hear more anti-mutant sentiments. If she was going to die today, then she wanted to die at home. But as she turned, her eyes caught sight of a familiar face. "David." The name came out as a hoarse whisper, and Gabrielle found herself moving in his direction. If she could just reach him, if she could get him to see her –

"I wouldn't dare, if I were you," hissed a voice, a hand reaching out to grip Gabrielle by the elbow, pulling her to a stop. Gabrielle turned around and found herself face to face with the mutant Selene.

"_Let me go!_ He's my son!"

"Do you think I care about things like that? He is a mutant, and you are a human. You've held him back far too long for me to let you get your hands on him again," replied Selene darkly.

Gabrielle shook her head, her mouth agape. "I tried to _help_ him. His powers are a danger to him, to –"

"To others?" finished Selene. "He will be one of the greatest mutants you will ever know, and it will be with _my_ help. You would do well to stay away from him, or else you'll find yourself six feet under before you can even blink."

A chill went down Gabrielle's spine, and she found that she was too afraid to move. The seconds ticked by and then Selene finally let go of her, taking a step back to study Gabrielle carefully. "Good," she said. "Then we have an understanding."

There was nothing for Gabrielle to say; nothing she could do. She watched as Selene walked away, leaving Gabrielle staring helplessly after her.

**Egypt**

Pain flashed through Rogue as Phoenix swiped at her face, nails drawing blood. But she refused to let go of the other woman's arms, pushing the feelings swirling within her to the back of her mind. She knew Jean was in there, and as long as Rogue could keep herself from trying to kill Phoenix, then she was determined to get Jean out.

"_Fight it_, Jean! You have to."

"I don't have to do _anything_! I am The Phoenix, and you are _nothing!_" Her words were said through clenched teeth as her eyes began to turn a murky black color. Rogue let go of the other woman, a warning bell going off in her head. This was it; this would be the end.

Then she glanced down. "And what about him?" she asked, her voice soft. Rogue extended her arm, pointing a single finger toward Cyclops as he entered the temple, leading a combined team of Brotherhood and X-Men members. Phoenix's gaze followed Rogue's arm, her eyes returning to normal. For a split second they looked as though Jean was looking out, and then the shine was gone, leaving the dull blue color Jean had become known for under the rule of Apocalypse.

But that was all Rogue had needed. Jean was still in there somewhere, and it was enough to get her to snap into action. "If you can't fight for him, Jeannie, then we both deserve to die today. And you know who will be the one to take his life. Not you; not me."

Pulling away from Phoenix, Rogue shot through the air again, headed in Remy's direction. He saw her coming, his hand tossing the dagger into the air. She caught it, moving straight for the back of Apocalypse's neck. She didn't know how this would work, or even if it would. The southerner had never liked the idea of trusting Sage to begin with, but what choice did she have? If the woman was wrong, Rogue could at least die knowing Sage wouldn't be far along behind her.

So without thinking, without pausing, Rogue raised the dagger in the air, bringing it down into the middle of the back of Apocalypse's neck. He let out a strangled cry, Warren falling to the ground in a weary heap. But Rogue couldn't think of that; she was too busy pulling off a glove with her teeth, and then placing a hand down on Apocalypse's skin. Her mind had sorted through the powers in her possession, and in the end she knew that there was only one power that she knew well enough to do serious damage: her own.

Twisting the knife, Rogue refused to let go of Apocalypse, gritting her teeth as he fell to his knees, another cry of pain. She knew he was fighting against her, trying to use his powers to reach to her – but he couldn't. She wasn't in his line of sight, and they could both see another problem headed his way.

Whether it was Jean in control, or Phoenix, the red streak moving through the air became engulfed in flame. Part of Rogue knew what was coming next, but even then she refused to let go. Memories flashed through her mind, a new psyche entering the crowded mess in her head, struggling to take control. But Rogue fought it with all her might, her eyes focused on Phoenix as the woman barreled into Apocalypse's chest, pushing him and Rogue backward through a wall and into another chamber.

Blood seeped through the hand wrapped around the dagger, and Rogue could feel herself losing control of her mind… so she did the only thing she could think of to protect herself. She let down the barrier keeping Phoenix's psyche at bay, allowing Jean's powers to rush over her.

A new warmth flooded through Rogue's body as the Phoenix Force surfaced. Her own powers were still working; draining Apocalypse, but it was all different now. She could feel her eyes clouding over, though what color they had turned, she didn't know; beneath her fingers she felt the skin begin to flake away like dust, as though her touch was burning him bit by bit… but there was no smell of burnt flesh. Apocalypse was simply breaking apart…

Phoenix reached out with a single hand, placing it atop Apocalypse's head, her eyes glinting in pleasure as he yelled out in pain. She wasn't aiming for his head, determined to break his control on her mind.

And it worked.

Rogue could feel a searing pain in her mind where Apocalypse had first consumed her after his awakening. It was sharp and sudden, worse than the pain she had felt when Professor Xavier had tried killing off the mutants at Mastermind's behest. She bit down on the side of her cheek, tasting blood as she struggled to remain conscious. All around her Rogue felt fire tickling her skin, but it didn't hurt… it almost felt as though it was reaching out to wrap around her like a blanket – a very warm and welcome blanket.

For the first time in her life, Rogue felt safe. Her hands loosened of their own accord, her eyes fluttering shut, and then there was darkness.


End file.
